What you do to the least of these:
I was abused, exploited and preyed upon and you called me a liar and told me to be quiet, stop talking about it, forgive and move-on, and touch not God's anointed (are you familiar with at least one of these sayings).
There are countless stories of abuse of children in the world and in congregations today. Yet, when abuses from someone we are acquainted with is revealed there are people who most always side with the perpetrator instead of the victims. We don't have this occurring in Marco's case because he is dead. He went missing five days ago and was found raped, murdered and his body dumped behind an apartment. Now his family is lamenting that there are too many sex offenders on the loose in the Bahamas.
Marco's mother is right. There are too many sex offenders loose in the Bahamas. And it is the fault of all of us. You see, we shield the silent abuser who we know (we tell our children don't shame the family) and castrate the stranger who does the same, raping and killing our children.
Why is it that we detest sexual predators that are unknown to us, yet condone the abuse that is happening in our homes and neighborhoods? Why is it that pastors preach on our young people staying sexually pure but stop short of condemning sexual predators that steal the value of our children's sexual integrity?
What hypocrisy!
We don't even try to bandage the wounds of the survivors of this crime. Many victims of abuse, including me, find that when we honestly expose our feelings of hurts and wounds that we've carried and that have caused us so much bondage, pain and turmoil there is little compassion from brothers and sisters in Christ (because the pain cannot be healed with an aspirin). How little love and compassion of the many who talk of acquaintance with Christ. We give Christ no honor here.
For now, we grieve for Marco..................what about tomorrow will we embrace the survivors of abuse with love while listening with compassion?
I am so sorry you had to go through that, only those who feels it knows it..I pray that you were able to forgive and move on in life. Even so now that you have a husband and a daughter...remember forgiveness is not for us, it's for others we need to forgive.when we don't forgive we allow others to hold a grip on our lives..all I can say is, use your life journey to help others when ever you can..you do have a testimony and a life changing, and powerful one at that...love you..
ReplyDeleteIf you were to come across Marco's family today what would you do or say? Shout, "Forgive" from the sidewalk or give them a shoulder to grieve on? I would allow them to grieve while giving a compassionate ear to their pain not telling them what they ought to do. Forgiveness comes in time not when others want it to.
ReplyDeleteThanks or sharing your story with us. The ability to share an experience like this is not always easy but I also hope that it can help others. I kind of know what you experience and I use kind of because each person experience and emotions are different. I was also molested as a young child by my neighbor and a close family friend. These individuals was not strangers and had the respect and trust of my parents and the community. Did I ask these predators to steal my innocence away from me? The answer is No, but no one ask for such cruelty. Have I forgiven these men for molesting me at the age of six? The answer us yes, but forgiveness did not come easily or over night. It took me many YEARS.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have forgiven but I sure have not forgotten. People say in order to forgive you have to forget but I don't believe that. The mind is not a computer that has a button where you can delete all browsing history. A scar like that is forever embedded into your mind. For my own piece of mind I had to find it in my heart to forgive when I felt it was right and it was at the time I gave my life to Christ and lay my burdens at his feet. These men will one day have to give account for their sick actions. There is a lot of sexual abuse in our Bahama land that is swept under rug and go unspoken. Great post.