We are in a season where God is bringing to light things that have been done in darkness. Over the last several years, we have seen exposures of abuse happening within the church and leaders who were living secret lives as sexual predators. We are also seeing the topic of domestic abuse come to the forefront. It is an epidemic that must be addressed at this time.
Will We Walk By?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan has insight for us on addressing the abuse crisis in the church. In the story, a traveler was attacked by thieves, stripped, beaten, and left for dead. As if things couldn’t get worse, what happens next is horrific: “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.” (Luke 10:31-32)
The very ones who were supposed to represent God turned a blind eye, walked on the other side, and went about their day. While this seems unimaginable, it is sadly a good illustration of how the church has often responded to victims of abuse. Sometimes this has been out of ignorance, simply because we have been too naïve to the nature, dynamics, and tactics of abuse. Other times, abuse has been engrained in churches and in the leaders themselves, making it impossible for them to help victims.
For all who name the name of Jesus and follow Him, there is a call to be like the Good Samaritan. He is the one who, at great cost to himself, stood with the victim in order to bring healing and restoration. We likewise are called to be willing to pay the price, get our hands dirty, and take the time and care to stand with victims of abuse. We must become more educated, be willing to take sides and stand with those who have been abused, and take practical steps to bring healing. This is one of the reasons that we are excited about our upcoming abuse awareness dinner.
Abuse Awareness Dinner
We are hosting an Abuse Awareness Dinner on Saturday, June 25th of this year. The purpose of this dinner is to raise awareness about the hidden abuse epidemic in the Church, as well as support to continue building and expanding our initiatives to tangibly empower women seeking freedom from abuse. This dinner is for all believers, pastors, ministry leaders, or anyone who has a heart to learn more about covert abuse.
As a church leader, I appeal to other pastors and leaders to be open to learning about a topic that may be new to you. We must humble ourselves and realize that perhaps we have missed the reality of domestic abuse in our midst and educate ourselves to be better equipped to recognize and properly address these types of situations.
Check out the details for this special evening and plan to be a part!
*Click for details: Abuse Awareness Dinner – June 25th
