I have missed several days of posts this month.  Today being Saturday I have not been at the hospital so I have no patient interactions to inspire me in a direction of what topic to write about.  Then on my Twitter account the International Spy Museum posted the picture above marking today as the 106th anniversary of the founding of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As I studied this picture I thought of the agents who gave the ultimate price, their life, because they were killed in the line of duty.  Now serving in the FBI is prestigious so most family members are excited when one of their own makes through the intense screening process to be hired.  I expect that many new agents know there is a possibility of being killed in the line of duty but hope it won’t happen them.  I can imagine their loved ones by pointing out the odds are in their favor of being safe due to the many security precautions the agency utilizes to protect the agents.

What happens on that fateful day when the unfortunate agent loses his life in the line of duty?  How do the relatives involved react when they receive the news?  How does the loss of an agent affect the case that brought about the agent’s death?

These three questions all lead us to process emotions that would be involved this scenario.  Employees and family members could both benefit from having someone to discuss their emotions surrounding the loss.  Life can’t continue as it did before.  People will be searching for way to move on in life now that a precious person has been taken from them.  Chaplains can be that person to listen attentively without making judgments.  Chaplains can ask those they minister to what gives them hope and affirm the elements of hope that are identified.  Chaplains can help those they minister to decide what their next step is and remind them it is important to take each day one-at-a-time.

I have no idea how many agents have lost their life in the line of duty in the past 106 of the FBI’s history.  But I pray that the coworkers and families of those who have died were able to have the grace provided through the ministry of a chaplain.  Surely we can all agree suffering is something universal for all who have mourned the life of a fallen agent.  When we suffer having someone to make the journey with us is a gift that leads us to healing and wholeness.