“Each of us holds a piece of the truth. But only together, and with grace, do we come close to seeing the sacred whole.”

There is an ancient story, born on the Indian subcontinent, about a group of blind men who were led to encounter something they had never touched before: an elephant.

Curious, they approached and began to feel it.

• One touched the trunk and said, “It’s a thick, moving snake.”
• Another felt its leg and said, “No, no—it’s a sturdy pillar.”
• A third, touching the side, claimed, “It is a wall.”
• Another grasped the tail and declared, “Clearly, it’s a rope.”
• One felt the tusk and insisted, “It’s a spear.”
• Another, touching the ear, said, “It’s a wide, flapping fan.”

Each of them was right—but only partially. And each of them was also mistaken—because no one held the full truth. The deeper tragedy came when they stopped listening to each other. In some versions of the story, the men argue, accuse, and even fight. In others, someone sighted arrives, offering a fuller vision. Only then do the blind men realize they each held a piece, but only together could they glimpse the greater whole.

The Elephant and the Chaplain

This parable is not just about elephants—it is about us. About how we perceive, believe, interpret, and claim. As Chaplains and Chaplaincy Pro CPE students, we too are always encountering “elephants”—big, complex realities like grief, God, hope, trauma, forgiveness, joy, and faith. Each patient, staff member, or family we meet offers us their own piece of what they have touched and known. It is up to us not to grab hold of our own piece so tightly that we miss the fullness that is unfolding.

Truth is Shared, Not Owned

Religions, spiritual paths, psychological theories, and cultural narratives are all sacred tools—each of them touching the elephant from a different angle. Christianity brings deep compassion and incarnation. Islam brings devotion and rhythm. Buddhism brings mindfulness and inner peace. Judaism brings resilience and sacred questioning. Hinduism brings cosmic diversity. Humanism brings integrity and wonder. And psychological theories—from Jung to Freud, from CBT to narrative therapy—all bring something valuable to the care of the soul.

No one system fits everyone. No one belief contains the whole.

As Chaplains, we must learn to honor the part while seeking the whole.

The Call to Outgrow

Here lies the heart of Chaplain Professional Education (CPE)—a call to outgrow not just beliefs but our ways of seeing. To become bigger than the shape we were first formed in.

Many of us have already outgrown our families in education, worldview, or access. We may hold more knowledge, more language, more questions than our ancestors ever could. But that is not a reason for pride—it is a sacred responsibility. The spiritual leaders who changed the world—Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Gandhi, MLK Jr., and others—each outgrew the limits of their upbringing. Not to reject it, but to fulfill it. They stepped beyond the walls they were handed to embrace something bigger and more loving.

Can you, as a Chaplain, do the same?

CPE Process as Sacred Disruption

In CPE, you will be challenged to question your assumptions, to listen to stories that don’t match your theology, to feel the weight of truths you were never taught. And when that happens, do not be afraid.

It is not a crisis—it is an invitation.

• When a Hindu patient asks for prayer, can you honor it without “correcting” it?
• When a grieving parent curses God, can you still bless the holy ground of their sorrow?
• When a staff member says, “I’m spiritual, not religious,” can you meet them where they are, not where you wish they’d be?

Examples for Practice

With a Patient

You meet a woman in palliative care. She says, “I’m ready to go home.” You think she means heaven—but she means her childhood home in the Philippines. You listen, not to confirm your beliefs, but to understand hers. In doing so, you become her companion, not her interpreter.

With a Family

A Jewish and Christian family disagree about end-of-life rituals. Rather than side with one tradition, you create space for both, saying, “Each of you carries sacred memory. Let’s honor what each of you knows about this elephant.”

With Staff

A nurse feels burned out and says, “Nothing we do matters.” You might be tempted to argue. Instead, you sit, nod, and say, “Tell me more.” Slowly, she uncovers a deeper grief—and you’ve helped her name the part of the elephant she was holding alone.

With a CPE Student

A student says, “I don’t believe in God like I used to.” You don’t try to fix it. You reflect: “That’s a sacred shift. Sometimes our beliefs need to grow bigger to fit the life we’re living now.”

The Sacred Work of Seeing More

As Chaplains, we are not called to see better than others—we are called to see with others. To hear a Muslim prayer and feel its holiness. To witness a child’s silence and call it sacred. To hold a Christian hand and let it shake with doubt.

To walk from room to room, touching tusk, tail, ear, and leg—until we know, not everything, but more than we did before.

“God is bigger than our theologies. Love is wider than our liturgies. Truth is deeper than our traditions. And we—if we are brave—can outgrow the shape we started in.”