God’s Touch in a Trauma-Informed Life
By Jenifer Mullineaux
Recently two phrases from Isaiah 9 captivated me, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Generally, I’m drawn to the powerful images of the Messiah in this passage, but having just given a training on trauma informed care at my work, and having just completed a study of the Crusades, imperialism and slavery from 500-1200 AD in WCIU’s Developments in World History course, the power passages repelled me that day. I was grieving our Christian history that brought suffering to the very people we were called to minister to. Instead, that day I felt a gentle invitation to drawn near to Christ incarnate - to feel his skin against my cheek, to imagine the weight of his body in my arms, to savor his newborn smell, and to look and marvel at him as a mother would. The imagery was so powerful that I couldn’t get it out of my mind and after reflecting for a day realized why.
I’m in WCIU master’s program to explore ways of empowering Gen 1.5/2.0 children of refugees who are growing up cross-culturally in the West. They fit categories of “Third Culture Kids” (TCKs) or “Cross-Cultural Kids” (CCKs) and have issues of identity and belonging described as fitting in “everywhere” while belonging “nowhere.” Many also have histories of trauma and part of my research has looked at neuro-psychological approaches to bring healing to wounds buried deep in hearts, minds, and bodies -- using touch, movement, vision, smell, and auditory sensory input within healing communities. That day Isaiah 9:6 was an invitation to engage my heart, mind, and body in trauma informed activities to bring healing from the pain of disappointment, grief, stresses of living and working through a pandemic, and political discord. Christ’s ministry to the whole person is a picture of shalom or well-being as we’ve so often studied in our courses, and now neuroscience is confirming that Christ’s holistic and sensory rich approach that engages hearts, minds, and bodies is a powerful way to bring healing and transformation to wounded souls.
