Domestic Violence Awareness Week

This is Domestic Violence Awareness Week, an effort to draw attention to a hidden killer. I don't have the figures to quote, but women and children are physically, emotionally, and verbally abused on a regular basis. Being a pastor puts you in contact victims of domestic violence, and it is true that you find it in all types of homes, no matter the economic level. And it is heart wrenching when you see someone so hemmed in, so afraid, of what their spouse might do. So wrong, so unnecessary, so damaging.

I called for prayer yesterday for those caught in the whirlwind of domestic violence. My heart aches for those who endure abuse. The wife whose self-esteem is shattered and who implores, "Please don't say anything." The child who cowers, yearning for the "good parent" to show up. I feel total disgust toward the ones who seize power and control by tearing down those they should protect, but yet I pray, may Christ the Redeemer, the Liberator, free both victim and abuser from this evil.