Corrections_Today_March_April_2021_Vol.83_No.2

nEWS&vIEWS

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Be Still By Ronald G. Turner, Ph.D.

Be still, and know that I am God. 1 Peace I leav e with you; my peace I giv e you. 2

M ost prison chaplains could write a book on multi- tasking. Anyone who has spent time in a chaplain’s office knows how hectic it can get. From taking emergency phone calls to scheduling volunteer activities, there is never a dull moment. It is no won- der most chaplains find little time to be still. Some chaplains may steal a few minutes to be still during prayer time early in the morning or late at night, but once they get to the office it is the last thing they have time to think about. Ironically, it may be the thing they need the most, especially in the era of COVID. A Walk at Radnor Lake I got a glimpse into the impor- tance of stillness about a year ago when I was walking with an old friend at Radnor Lake State Park, located within Nashville. Radnor is a beautiful 1,300-acre wooded area surrounding a peaceful lake. We were laughing and catching up on things when I suddenly heard a soft bell ringing. My friend stopped, took out his water bottle, and had a sip.

istock/luza studios

Buddhist monks in orange robes did sitting for hours with their legs crossed. He was just standing there. And I definitely knew he was no monk! He told me about a website 4 on meditation he had found several months before and that he had been meditating ever since. After a few minutes we went on our way.

I asked why we were stopping so soon and he said he was meditating. Using an app he had downloaded, 3 he had set a bell on his phone to remind him to stop and meditate every hour. I thought he was kid- ding. He was the last person I would have expected to be meditating. I thought meditation was something

10 — March/April 2021 Corrections Today