I wish I could get every pastor, religious leader, teacher, parent and community activist to view the video above. There is so much to digest from what is presented here, that I might have to take a few posts here to articulate its true significance to my work, and its import to those who wish to make faith communities welcoming to those who have had traumatic or adverse childhood experiences.
Previously, I have written about what I view as universal needs created in us by our Maker (see http://fullhousewithaces.com/2...ored-where-we-begin/). What is fascinating to me is that the information portrayed in this video makes the same exact point I was: we have innate needs for significance and security that are to be met within the context of relationship! To further illustrate my conviction of the connection between spiritual development and nurture and the human need for relationship, I will excerpt just three quotes from the first 6 minutes of the video and give a short response to where I see the Christian gospel has insight, and where ministries might make a difference in the lives of those affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
“Everything that is important about life as a human being you learn in the context of relationships… We are neuro-biologically designed to be in relationship.” –Bruce Perry, MD, PhD
The Christian God is viewed as a Triune being: three in One. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed prior to Creation in perfected relationship. Creation was not necessary so that God could meet a need for relationship... or, more crudely put, God didn't design us because God desired companionship or a plaything. The creation of the first human beings, according to the Genesis account, makes clear that relationship between humankind and God is possible because we have God's image within us (Genesis 1:27). This expression of God's nature within human beings makes us unique. We are, as Dr. Bruce Perry asserts, "neuro-biologically designed to be in relationship."
“We need somebody we can trust, that we can hold on to, that walks with us hand and hand through the whole deal.” –Daniel J. Seigel, MD
God not only designed for this need to be met in the maternal relationship through human biology, but spiritually designed so that human beings best function when in relationship to the Creator. The message that Jesus left with his followers before he ascended into heaven was, "Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). The connection between Jesus and his followers was something Jesus stressed throughout his ministry, suggesting that "apart from me [Jesus], you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The significance of connection to God precedes Jesus' incarnation, as a popular passage from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, asserts "He gives strength to the weary... those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:29-31).
“What our bodies want for best development is relationship. Every neuron in our brain develops most optimally through a loving relationship.” –Marti Glenn, PhD.
The video quickly gets into the affects that pre-natal stress can have on the brain development of the child in utero. The brain stem is that part of our nervous system that regulates the "fight or flight" impulse. When this part of our brains are disregulated, we respond to external stimuli in ways that are not merited by our actual circumstance. Babies can be born hyper-reactive to their environment, or can learn very soon after birth that the world is a frightening place. Attachment and healthy relationship is a prescription God made for his Creation, it is not an invention of modern psychology or neuro-biology. In Psalm 139, a beautiful work of King David, he writes: "You [God] created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb... my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place" (Psalm 139:13-15).
God is concerned for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of each human being. Communities of faith have a lot to provide in terms of the loving relationships that can support children and families that are working through the issues that early childhood stress or trauma produce. Ultimately, the offer of a grace-filled and loving relationship with God can go a long ways towards reestablishing a healthy view of relationships and attachment. Where do you see connections between the human need for attachment and bonding and the ministry of your church? What do you sense the gospel has to say to those living on the "other side" of childhood trauma or neglect? How can you be part of taking a message of hope and healing that goes beyond a medical approach to the neuro-biology of adverse childhood experiences?
[note: this was originally posted to my site www.fullhousewithaces.com]
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