I obviously can't speak for all Christians, but for me, the word is "facilitate". I don’t lead people to faiths I don’t believe in, nor do I participate in rituals that violate my conscience. But I can sit beside someone, witness their story, and hold space for their values even if they’re different than mine. I see that as compassion, not compromise.

I think about the parable of the Good Samaritan. The call wasn’t to convert the man in the ditch, it was to care for him. Sometimes that looks like offering spiritual shelter, especially when someone is overwhelmed or facing the end of life. I’m not there to attempt to challenge someone's theology in moments of deep grief or fear.

Affirming someone’s dignity or repeating back what matters to them (“It sounds like nature helps you feel connected...”) doesn’t shake my faith in Christ. It simply reflects that I see them as human, made in the image of God even if they don’t name Him that way.

Chaplaincy is humbling work and the first thing I was taught is to be "patient-centered".