Darkness conceals and disguises. Darkness varnishes over blemishes. We use the darkness to hide ourselves from ourselves, from others and from God. That is called deception.

People who are suffering long for help and comfort. We have all experienced this in times of pain.  It is an open door for the church to bend down, like her Lord bent down for us, and enter in with wise, gentle, self-sacrificing, and practical ongoing care.

Every time we treat someone with dignity rather than shame, respect rather than disregard, concern rather than exploitation, kindness rather than brutality and careful attention rather than turning away – we are doing things that are the reverse of trauma and evil.

Given the numbers of suffering and traumatized people, the trauma of this world is one of the supreme opportunities before the church today. Worshiping God means, in Jesus’ name, we listen and attend to those who are suffering. We MUST enter the trauma of shattered humanity.

In the trauma of sexual abuse, every sense was involved (touch-taste-smell-sound-sight) and it was involved during a state of hyperawareness because of the fear. The lessons taught, such as, I am worthless, will not be easily unlearned. Be gentle in the long process of healing.

Encouraging church and ministry leaders, elders, and anyone involved in pastoral care to avail themselves of this timely resource.

“Keep in mind those who are suffering as if you were suffering the identical thing.”  Hebrews 13:3

We in the church are hungry to be progressive, to get higher, have more, increase our numbers, and achieve yet another level. Yet, our Savior goes back to gather up the lost things, those which have been left behind. He came to “seek and to save that which was lost”.

How people habitually respond to the poor in their midst will always be revealed in a crisis. When a crisis comes, people simply do what they practice.

Abuse is always fruit borne by the abuser. It is never caused by the victim. All victims, children, or adult, need understanding and protection, not blame.

Systems that cover up abuse through deception, coercion, or abuse of power, mimic the perpetrator and re victimize the victim. Tragically, many lives have been sacrificed on the altar of secrecy for the sake of the church or the mission.

Those things that enable long-term sin to continue are so much a part of the fabric of our lives that we do not even see them anymore. That is why Jesus called the Pharisees “blind guides”. In practicing darkness while professing light, we sin.

Never demean the occurrences of ordinary human life or see them as interferences in some “big work”.  It is in just those ordinary places, far more than the public, lifted up places, that the life of Christ is to be made manifest.

No system and no leader can satisfy the human soul. The well from which we drink should not be a captivating preacher or a certain kind of worship experience. Nothing and no one can represent God accurately except by a likeness to Jesus Christ.

Myth: The presence of good deeds, kind words, and a good reputation means a person could not possibly be an abuser. Truth: An abuser often cultivates such things for the purpose of deception.

Myth: Most abusers are not like us. They are strangers, odd, mean, monsters, and certainly not Christian, let alone in a leadership position. Truth: The majority of abuse victims know and trust the person who commits the abuse.

We damage the dignity of others when we refuse to wait for them – whether they need to tie their own shoes or they are struggling to find words for the indescribable. We bestow honor on another when we consider him or her worth waiting for.

Clergy sexual abuse is not an affair; pedophilia is not about struggling with difficult circumstances; molesting adolescents is not about a struggling marriage. Such things must be called by their right names- the abuser needs to be held responsible for his/her abusive behavior.