Crosswinds Foundation for Faith and Culture
I had never heard the term “moral injury” before viewing this film. My guess is that I am not alone. The concept, however, is one that warrants more attention from the public and from organizations that can offer help. A little research revealed that although moral injury is related to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is not the same thing. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), PTSD “can occur after someone goes through a traumatic event like combat, assault or disaster.”
‘Act of transgression’
On the other hand, again according to the VA, the key precondition for moral injury is “an act of transgression, which shatters moral and ethical expectations that are rooted in religious or spiritual beliefs or culture-based, organizational and group-based rules about fairness, the value of life and so forth.”
“Honoring the Code” is a film by Crosswinds Foundation for Faith and Culture, a Birmingham-based organization that was made to raise awareness of moral injury and point the way to help.
Linwood Bragan, executive director of Crosswinds, noted the number of suicides among returning war veterans, saying, “even secular sources will tell you these warriors are struggling for a moral authority that can offer them forgiveness.” Indeed, research published in journals bears this out. The VA cites a study that proclaims, “Religion and spirituality are critical components of moral injury. … Forgiveness is also an important mediator of outcome.”
Bragan noted, “We all know that the ultimate authority for forgiveness is God Himself.”
According to Crosswinds president and founder Bob Waldrep, the movie will premiere May 12 at the Carmike Summit Theater in Birmingham. Tickets are available at the Honoring the Code website, honoringthecode.com. Group discounts are available to groups of more than 10 people.
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