Last week, as he was home for spring break, I asked my nineteen-year-old business major son what he was thinking he might do after college. Assuming he\u2019d say he would pursue an MBA, I was taken aback when instead he mentioned going into the military. (This, of course, was a fall-back idea in case his NFL career didn\u2019t work out. I would roll my eyes at the NFL idea but my son has proven time and again, if he puts his mind to something he can often meet his goals.)<\/p>\n
I have very little experience with the military and have never once mentioned it to my three sons nor my daughter as a possible future for them. In fact, the thought of one of my children ever seeing war scares me in ways I don\u2019t even want to think about. However, I am also aware of the many benefits a military career can give to a young adult unsure of their future. Trying to be self-differentiated and a non-anxious presence,[1]<\/a> I simply asked my son to tell me more about his thoughts of a military career. He mentioned being an \u201cofficer as he would have a college degree,\u201d also that \u201cmany college athletes find a home in the military because it provides the same kind of teamwork and discipline.\u201d Because I was practicing being self-differentiated and a non-anxious presence, I just nodded along and tried my darndest not to react, leaving the conversation with, \u201cWell, it\u2019s definitely something to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marc LiVecche and The Good Kill<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I found it kind of ironic that the day after this conversation with my son I had to read Marc LiVecche\u2019s book, The Good Kill<\/em>. LiVecche\u2019s account unfolds against the backdrop of war, weaving together the lives of soldiers grappling with the effects of their actions. Lines between right and wrong blur as the author looks at what justifies a \u201cgood kill.\u201d One of the central themes of The Good Kill is the concept of moral injury \u2013 the psychological and spiritual trauma that comes from doing something, such as killing another, that violates one\u2019s normative and deeply held belief system.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n Even if my son never came face to face with an enemy on the \u201cbattlefield,\u201d he could be responsible for the death of soldiers and civilians and as his mother, while I would never wish moral injury on my child, I would hope, any killing on his part would violate his normative and deeply held belief system. I don\u2019t want to believe any of my kids think killing another human to be okay!<\/p>\n However, if I remove myself as his mother and look at his possible future career as a pastor, I am able to be more objective. I am grateful to those who choose to put their lives on the line for my protection. I know the decision to do so does not come lightly and carries many risks and consequences. Moral injury being one of those risks and consequences. So, as a pastor, my role is to be a person of healing and hope for those putting their lives on the line, to be a safe place in which they can express their moral injury and find non-judgement, learning grace for themselves.<\/p>\n In his blog post on this book, Travis Vaughn has a footnote that says, \u201cLiVecche describes the use of lethal force, if deployed in a morally lawful way, can itself be a promotion of human flourishing\u00a0 even for one\u2019s enemy. (Livecche, 10) Levicche describes \u201chow the punitive deployment of force against an unjust enemy can be motivated by the desire to stop his evildoing, hamstring his ability to continue, and, ideally, restore him to the fellowship of peace.\u201d (Livecche, 10)\u201d[3]<\/a> As a pastor, I hope this would be the message I could give a veteran struggling with moral injury \u2013 a message of grace and understanding.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Moral Injury in Other Areas of Life<\/strong><\/p>\n While LiVecche focused on moral injury mostly in the context of war and killing, I wonder if moral injury might permeate our everyday lives, manifesting itself in the small, seemingly inconsequential decisions we make. Every day I drive past several people who are houseless and asking for a job or for money. Each time I do, I am struck with a pang of, \u201cDangit, would Jesus keep on driving by or would he stop and at least have a conversation with this person?\u201d And while I don\u2019t feel psychologically injured by my action of driving on by, I do feel continuously guilty at my inaction of helping. Could this be a micro-moral injury? Do actions like this count?<\/p>\n In the book, Exploring Wicked Problems, What they Are and Why They Are Important<\/em>, we are told that we are often part of the problem and part of our responsibility in addressing wicked problems is to acknowledge the part we play.[4]<\/a> Each time I do something that goes against my deeply held belief system but is also the easy way out \u2013 such as driving past the houseless, or throwing plastic away instead of recycling it, or letting my middle schooler veg out on endless Ipad time, I acknowledge that I am part of the problem, I feel guilty, and yet I do it anyway. I ask again, does this result in a micro-moral injury? This reminds me of Paul\u2019s comment in Romans 7:18-19, For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.<\/p>\n The concept of moral injury also made me wonder about those who do something hurtful to another while experiencing mental illness. Sometimes a mental health condition can cause one to act in ways they would not otherwise. Loved ones are often on the receiving end of their behavior. Often when the mental health crises is resolved the person living with the mental illness feels embarrassed, saddened, guilty for their actions toward another while in crisis. This may cause even more psychological distress. Does this count as moral injury?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what my son will decide about entering the military. I only hope that should he decide to serve there will be military chaplains, therapists, and other support systems that can hold his grief should he have to act in ways that go against his deeply held belief system.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Edwin Friedman, and Peter Steinke. 2017. A Failure of Nerve, Revised Edition: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix<\/em>. 10th Anniversary edition. New York: Church Publishing.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Marc LiVecche, The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury<\/em> (Oxford University Press, 2021), 3.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Travis Vaughn, Moral Injury vs. Moral Bruising and a Green Beret Father, https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/moral-injury-vs-moral-bruising-and-a-green-beret-father\/<\/a>, accessed April 3, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n