Since being in college, many people have asked me the question why I would pursue a career in counseling. I always respond with that I would someday like to be for another teenage girl what I desperately needed as a fifteen-year-old.
I know what it feels like to have my voice stripped away and to be told that my body and worth have no meaning. I know what it feels like to be emotionally and verbally abused until I begin to believe the lies that are thrown at me day after day. I know what it feels like to have my view of God distorted because the one person who was supposed to protect me could have cared less to do so. I have felt the sting of injustice and I will no longer keep silent.
Silence about injustice will kill you and only continue to hurt those living in that daily reality. Those who live with abuse and injustice in their everyday lives cry out for help. These cries may not always be verbal, but nonetheless, they are noticeable for those who are willing to pay attention.
The devil loves darkness and silence. These are the breeding grounds for so many aspects of sin and injustice. When we as the church are aware of injustice and say nothing, not only are we agreeing with the actions of the abuser, but we also are invalidating the worth of the abused.
I know that within the Anabaptist communities it is uncommon to speak up when abuse is noticed. It is very common that if those being abused do speak out or wish to be heard they are told to be silent because it has the potential to mar the image the church desires to portray.
Where is compassion and love in this silence? Silence is not loving the victim or the abuser. Silence is not having compassion for the abused. I know personally how messy situations such as this can be, but Jesus would never have remained silent just because something was hard or messy.
Speaking out and calling the abuser to be accountable for his/her actions is more loving than silence will ever be. Are we not concerned for their souls? If they are abusing their loved ones there is a disconnect somewhere in their relationship with Jesus. We are responsible for what we know, and I also believe we will be held accountable for our silence on injustice.
We as a church are held to a higher calling and standard. Let us wake up, rise up, and speak up. You never know how your fighting for someone when they can’t fight for themselves may change their lives, now and for eternity.
If you or someone you know is dealing with abuse please reach out to someone, allow them to help you carry this burden, or help you in some way. If you are an individual that someone chooses to reach out to; listen to them, do not invalidate their story, and encourage them to pass on their story to someone who can potentially make a difference!!
