Redeeming Trauma: A 24 Day Advent Devotional
What is Advent?
Advent (from Latin adventus, “coming” or “arrival”) is a four-week season of spiritual preparation observed in many Christian traditions prior to Christmas [1].
Advent invites believers to pause and reflect not only on the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, but also on His ongoing presence and eventual return.
What is Trauma?
In Trauma and Recovery, Psychiatrist Judith Herman brilliantly defines trauma as “an overwhelming experience that shatters the individual’s sense of safety, connection, and meaning. It is an event that disrupts the ordinary ways of coping and leaves the person feeling helpless, terrorized, and disconnected from the world.” [2]
Trauma attacks the triad of safety, connection, and meaning—the very conditions God designed for human flourishing (shalom) in Genesis 1. [3]. Furthermore, trauma involves the dysregulation of the nervous system: when one falls outside the “window of tolerance,” one may experience hyper-arousal (anxiety, panic) or hypo-arousal (numbness, dissociation). In short: trauma is not just an event—it is what happens when a person’s internal world is shattered without sufficient context for healing.
Why is Integrating Advent and Trauma-Healing Important?
Bringing Advent’s rich themes of hope, peace, love, and joy into the journey of trauma healing creates a holistic pathway for transformation. Advent reminds us that God not only comes into tragedy (as with the incarnation) but invites us into restoration.
When trauma has disrupted safety and connectedness, the hope of Christ entering our darkness speaks directly to that wound. The promise of peace heals dysregulated nervous systems by inviting us into the divine rest found in Him.
Love addresses the fragmentation trauma births, as the one who knows us fully still loves us unconditionally. Finally, joy becomes the fruit of integration—when the pieces of our lives start aligning in God’s redemption story.
This integration respects both clinical insights (soothing, dysregulation, and nervous system repair) and theological truth (reconnection to the the Imago Dei and restoration in Christ). Together, they offer a framework where trauma is neither ignored nor simply managed—but redeemed.
Resources:
[1] https://bibleproject.com/guides/advent/
[2] Herman, Judith L. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. Basic Books: New York. 2022.
[3] Read more in my blog Redeeming Trauma: Understanding Trauma Through a Biblical Lens. https://www.intentionalbridges.com/blog/understanding-trauma-through-a-biblical-lens
November 28, 2025
Written by Dr. James E. Francis Jr.
Dr. Francis is the founder of Intentional Bridges, a mental health counseling and coaching practice that provides accountability through encouragement and empowerment that drives resilience and spiritual maturity. James helps with issues including anxiety, anger, depression, grief, infidelity, life transitions, stress, marital readiness, men’s issues, relationship issues, race-related issues, pornography addiction, PTSD, and trauma. He believes that therapy should be clinically excellent and theologically accurate. He prioritizes the integration of Scripture with elements of psychology to operate a holistic growth plan. James helps individuals identify and overcome their negative core beliefs. Then walks beside them to promote step-by-step healing from the pain of the past.
*Image and some text generated with the assistance of AI technology.
