"If there was just one sinner on the planet, Christ loves each of us so much that He would have come to earth and died just the same."
I've heard that rather dramatic, poetic statement made over and over in countless sermons in dozens of fundamental churches. I don't find it offensive. I don't argue that it's wrong. I bring it up here because some of the very mouths that I have heard quote this sentiment in a sermon, later spoke in whispered, covert terms about ABUSE and how the individual's own problem must be hidden to protect the work of the Lord. So I ask, if one person's sins are enough to send Christ to the cross, then why is one person's abuse not enough to condemn one abuser to legal punishment for a crime?
Yesterday, I stated that our first reaction to any report of abuse should be one of love, not judgement for the abused. Next, that abused person needs protection and security. Contact the local authorities. God is in control. He doesn't want us to cover up wrong for His sake. We have treated abuse as a private matter for too long. People have suffered and people have died because of this attitude, and those who covered these egregious acts bear the shame of it.
How do we fix this? What steps should we take? First, do not allow the emotion of the situation to overcome common sense. This is a call to help the abused, not a call to a witch hunt. While in no sense do I support the actions of an abuser, we must remember that Christ loves ALL of us including the worst of sinners. In our legal system they have a right to a fair trial and they must accept the consequences of their crime. In our practice of Christ's teaching they need counsel, and forgiveness, even while they suffer the consequences of their sins. As much as the abused must be protected, the abuser must be held accountable.
Holding the abuser accountable does not allow full fellowship with the believers even if they are not in jail. Just as offenders have restrictions placed on them after release from jail, an abuser needs restrictions placed on them from the church. In one recent very famous case, the abused was sent away, while the abuser was allowed to stay in his home church. I do not know all of the circumstances, but this seemed . . . skewed.
Finally, at least for this post, if you are a victim of abuse please let someone know. It is not your fault, and you are not alone. If you have no one nearby contact Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment or GRACE. From their homepage: "GRACE is an organization whose sole purpose is to equip and assist the Church and those within the Christian community to fulfill Mark 9:36-37."
I'm sure that this is not my last post about abuse. I wish it could be. But sin and apathy still exist. If you need or want to contact me about a problem or a question, please do. I will be discreet, and I will answer prayerfully.
Broken teapot, broken people, broken lives. Perfect Savior.
In Christ Alone,
Teapotjan
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