(Photo Credit: cnn.com)
At the risk of stating the painfully obvious, we are in the middle of a cultural tsunami.
Droves of women are coming forward to share stories of how powerful men (in the vast majority of cases) have sexually harassed or assaulted them. It seems each morning people look to the news headlines to see if their favorite actor or politician has been the latest to fall. For some the reaction is, "I'm not surprised". For others, the response is, "I can't believe it." And for most of us, it is a mix of both.
But what do we do in light of this cultural reality into which we have been plunged?
How do we as a culture respond?
How should the perpetrators respond?
How should the victims respond?
How should the perpetrators respond?
How should the victims respond?
I want to offer 5 responses that I find in the life of Jesus and the teaching of the Bible.
I realize that some who read this don't subscribe to the authority of Jesus or the Bible, and so my request of those people is that you consider the wisdom of Jesus, the Word made Incarnate (John 1:1) and of the written Word - the Bible - and see if there is not merit in what He says.
1. Mourn. The Scripture clearly calls us to mourn with the hurting and broken-hearted.
Romans 12:5 tells us to "weep with those who weep." The Lord Jesus Christ Himself wept at the death of His dear friend Lazarus (John 11:35). When people are harmed or hurt, we are called to enter into their pain and to mourn with them. I sincerely hope that God has given to each of the victims of sexual harassment or assault someone with whom that person can cry and mourn. To be in a place of deep pain alone is a great burden, and so I pray that there might be those who can help carry the weight of this pain. And for those of us who don't know any of the women who have come forward (or don't know any victims in our own circles of influence), it seems an appropriate response to ask that God would move us to mourn with and pray for those who have been hurt - even if it is at a distance.
Romans 12:5 tells us to "weep with those who weep." The Lord Jesus Christ Himself wept at the death of His dear friend Lazarus (John 11:35). When people are harmed or hurt, we are called to enter into their pain and to mourn with them. I sincerely hope that God has given to each of the victims of sexual harassment or assault someone with whom that person can cry and mourn. To be in a place of deep pain alone is a great burden, and so I pray that there might be those who can help carry the weight of this pain. And for those of us who don't know any of the women who have come forward (or don't know any victims in our own circles of influence), it seems an appropriate response to ask that God would move us to mourn with and pray for those who have been hurt - even if it is at a distance.
2. A Calling to Justice, Mercy, and Humility.
In the Book of Micah in the Old Testament, God speaks to the prophet Micah and tells him that he and the people should live in a particular way. This immediately flies in the face of our cultural climate, a climate that says live how you want to and define reality for yourself. In contrast God tells Micah (and in turn the people to whom Micah will speak) what the 'good life' is. Micah is told three things: to do justice, to love mercy, and to talk humbly with God.
We see from this passage that God is not distant from our pain and that He calls us to seek after justice (we will look at mercy and humility later on). And so people who have done wrong, though there is mercy offered in the person and work of Christ, are to be brought to justice. And believe it or not, for those who are willing to admit wrong-doing (something often lacking in the response of those who have been accused), receiving justice can often be an act of mercy, a point of turning and transformation. The point here is that while the Creator of Heaven and Earth offers mercy and grace, He also demands that we carry out justice and not overlook wrongdoing.
We see from this passage that God is not distant from our pain and that He calls us to seek after justice (we will look at mercy and humility later on). And so people who have done wrong, though there is mercy offered in the person and work of Christ, are to be brought to justice. And believe it or not, for those who are willing to admit wrong-doing (something often lacking in the response of those who have been accused), receiving justice can often be an act of mercy, a point of turning and transformation. The point here is that while the Creator of Heaven and Earth offers mercy and grace, He also demands that we carry out justice and not overlook wrongdoing.
(Photo Credit: mashable.com)
3. Repent. The call to repent is all over the Bible. Repentance is more than just saying, "I was wrong" because that statement merely acknowledges a fact. Repentance is connected to remorse and change. If a person is repentant, he or she will acknowledge the wrong-doing, understand (in some sense) what the impact of the wrong was, and then turn from this evil. Repentance implies a turning-around of one's life and actions. While much of the information about these cases is still coming to light, I have to say that I have seen very little (from what I can read/tell) heart-felt repentance. Many of the 'apologies' have been couched in a "I'm sorry my actions were perceived this way" kind of language. This comes across as hedging your bets, trying to say sorry without having it cost too much. This is not repentance. I hope we will see more repentance and acceptance of responsibility from the perpetrators.
4. Acquire Power In Order to Sacrificially Serve. The life and teaching of Jesus are often portrayed as nice, kind, caring, loving. Yes, these describe a portion of the life of Christ, but the call of Christ is radical. Jesus tells His followers to give their lives away in order to find true life (Mark 8:35). He tells people that serving others is blessing (John 13:12-17). And He tells us that power is given not to dominate and control others, but to serve them, and that the greatest is the one who serves (Matthew 20:25-28). The ethic of Christ changes the power dynamic - the Christ-follower is called not to use power for self-aggrandizement but for love.
(Photo Credit: valuewalk.com)
5. By the grace of God alone, forgive. This is the hardest point to share because the call is so counter-intuitive, but the case is clearly made in the Bible. As I noted above, Jesus offered a radical perspective on life. It was about love and not power, it was about caring for the least-of-these, it was about sacrifice and giving one's life away in order to truly find life. And at the center of the life of Jesus Christ was forgiveness and love for those who - by any earthly standard - did not deserve it. We do not have space to venture into the depths of theology on forgiveness from God, the sin of mankind, and so forth. But the narrative of the Bible is filled with this reality: Jesus came to die and offer forgiveness to sinners, and 'sinners' is a descriptor all of us can wear. Even on the cross, Jesus prayed to God and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." About whom was He speaking? About those putting Him to death, those taunting Him (Luke 23:34).
Who am I - a sinner - to tell the victim of sexual assault to forgive the perpetrator?
I freely admit I have never experienced what so many of these (and other) women have experienced at the hands of others.
I am not the person to tell anyone to forgive.
But Jesus did. He called us to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:5-15).
That kind of forgiveness comes only through a heart that has been changed by the power and Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:26). This does not mean justice goes out the window, but it does mean that both justice and mercy can be mingled together. A heart that can forgive great evil is a heart that has been transformed by God. And He is a God who is able to change the heart.
(See below to watch Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott - a young girl killed in the Columbine School massacre).
Who am I - a sinner - to tell the victim of sexual assault to forgive the perpetrator?
I freely admit I have never experienced what so many of these (and other) women have experienced at the hands of others.
I am not the person to tell anyone to forgive.
But Jesus did. He called us to forgive as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:5-15).
That kind of forgiveness comes only through a heart that has been changed by the power and Spirit of God (Ezekiel 36:26). This does not mean justice goes out the window, but it does mean that both justice and mercy can be mingled together. A heart that can forgive great evil is a heart that has been transformed by God. And He is a God who is able to change the heart.
(See below to watch Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott - a young girl killed in the Columbine School massacre).
This is a messy time we are living in.
May God give us to grace to come through it with greater clarity and greater love.
- tC
May God give us to grace to come through it with greater clarity and greater love.
- tC
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