Domestic violence is a heinous crime and rampant all over but sadly, the
importance to address it with high priority remains missing. The term domestic
violence often brings to mind the concept of a battered wife. It is also linked
to child abuse. Even if the children are not physically injured, watching or
hearing a parent being abused can have severe psychological implications. In
most cases culture itself supports abandoning of the women and they have
nowhere to go to. Diane Langberg comments this way “It is amazingly easy
to be both anesthetized to the surrounding culture and blinded by it. Sadly,
that can mean we do things, agree with things and even adamantly protect those
beliefs simply because it is our culture."
The Bible strongly
demands, "Speak up for those who have no voice; Open your mouth,
judge righteously" (Proverbs 31:8-9). Ray Ortlund comments, “When we stand up
for someone being mistreated, we make Justice a felt reality in a time of
crisis. But if we decide to sit it out, play it safe, keep our heads down, we
hand people over to misery and wrong. God is watching.”. Since the Church is
a structured entity it can easily address these issues with proper training's and awareness and with the help of the Holy spirit.
It is important the
Church understands this major area of concern and start addressing it in all
possible ways. Talking about widows, let us know that ‘Widowhood’ is not a
status by itself, it can be the result of multiple reasons. It may not always
result by the death of a spouse. There are cases where spouses just desert
them and never come back, cases where spouse is forced into prostitution, cases
where they are physically abused beyond imagination and then there are cases
where the fathers abuse their own daughters and therefore as a wife and mother
of her own children, in many cases, part ways and result in a state of
widowhood. But unfortunately, in our society women are the ones who
are framed for unethical reason justifying the males.
Campbell Morgan
comments, “When
sanctuaries tolerate abuse and violence, in their midst we leave the abused
without a taste of our God of Refuge. Sanctuary means not being complicit with
those things that make a sanctuary a necessity.”. Church is the only
hope to bring healing and protect such vulnerable people. When Apostle James
talks about pure undefiled religion (James 1:27) he is not categorizing the
widows based on situation. He strongly makes a point to look after them.
Diane
Langberg Christian Psychologist for Trauma survivors makes this
staggering comment, “Many women have been sent home by church leaders to be beaten,
taunted, screamed at, humiliated, and used wrongly, sometimes to death.
The church must learn to recognize domestic violence for the evil it is and be
an understanding agent of protection, healing and hope.”. How many Churches
today are trained and prepared to handle this professionally? Can we the Church
be conscious and sensitive to the vulnerable group around us? Isaiah while
prophesying on the future glory of Israel compares the Lord's love and kindness
to the deserted wife, Isaiah 54:6 “For the Lord has called you like a
wife deserted and wounded in spirit. .” May we understand the
heartbeat of the Lord towards the broken and vulnerable.
Blessings
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