Prof. Shelly Rambo quoted in CNN article on religious leadership in wake of Camp Mystic tragedy
The following is an excerpt from CNN article “How religious leaders are talking – and listening – about the losses at Camp Mystic” by Madeline Holcombe, featuring Professor of Theology Shelly Rambo, published on July 11, 2025.
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An important place to start is to assure each other that feelings that come out of tragedy are OK, said Dr. Shelly Rambo, professor of theology at Boston University. What many people need in the aftermath is someone to sit beside them and hear their pain without being afraid of it or trying to tie it up and send it away, Rambo said.
It isn’t always natural for people to know how to stay in those difficult moments and allow others to grieve, she said. It takes intention to learn how to say, “I am so sorry,” and then just sit there and say nothing else, Rambo added. You might hold the person if they want it, but you don’t always have to.
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