Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Carole Mikita ReportingAs a married couple, Michael and Susan Jackson have a lot in common, including their careers, each is an interfaith chaplain, working in health care. But Michael and Susan Jackson work at different ends of the age spectrum.
When Michael Jackson leaves the house in the morning, he turns one way and his wife, Susan, turns the other. All day they walk the halls of their health care facilities, looking for opportunities to take a smile, offer a prayer or simply listen. They are chaplains.
The Rev. Susan Jackson, Interfaith Chaplain, St. Joseph's Villa: "People want to know that their life has meant something to someone and that they've been important to people."
No one is unimportant, they say, from the very seasoned in life to the youngest patients.
The Rev. Michael Jackson, Interfaith Chaplain, Primary Children's Medical Center: "To be compassionate. And sometimes that does mean to suffer with, but sometimes it means to sing and dance and play with and be joyous with, too."
They are called upon to represent all faiths.
Susan Jackson: "We say we walk on holy ground and sometimes we don't realize we're doing it. You may be never seeing this person again and you just don't know the effect you're gonna have, where the ripple will go."
Michael and Susan wish to tell everyone they witness miracles everyday.
Michael Jackson: "When we learn what's important, as every parent of every child in our hospital has new awarenesses of, just by virtue of the experience, that's a powerfully miraculous process."
Susan Jackson: "Maybe the miracle was that their family member reconnected with them in a very deep way. That may have been the healing that happened, the miracle."
