Monday, October 19, 2009

During the Festivities

While I don’t make reference to it here, folks know that the system and the hospital within which I work are named for the Evangelist who was also a physician.  This week in our system is Saint Luke’s Week, when we highlight the work of chaplains in the system.

One of the special events I schedule during Saint Luke’s Week is the Blessing of the Hospital.  Using a service modeled on house blessings, I walk through the hospital praying and asperging with holy water.

Today as I made my way through the hospital, folks noticed smoke coming from the hospital’s roof.  It was a simple mechanical issue with no risk to person or property.  However, we did get an immediate response from the fire department, which simply added to the concerns of observers.

At a later point, one of our administrators stopped me and, smiling, asked whether I thought my blessing was responsible for the smoke.  I said, “Well, I don’t know, but I suppose I might have hit something evil.” 

His eyes widened for a moment; and then he smiled.

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