Nougat 7

Recently the Catholic Bishops Conference in France commissioned an independent study on clergy abuse. The study revealed that more than 200,000 children have been abused between 1950 and 2020! It further revealed that at least another 100,000 children met with abuse in schools/youth programmes. Those numbers are daunting. But somehow the news took me back to David and his rape/abuse of Bathsheba. Where do we draw the line? Today’s Holy Nougat is controversial in its response.

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.”

Psalms 51:4 NIV

I have written on this before and sided with as well as castigated David. For there is a sense in which our sin is against God and God alone. But how does one ignore the human rights violations and the element of the mental, psychological and physical trauma that sexual abuse carries?

How?

Seriously how?

Unfortunately, in many countries, the rape culture is so egregiously (extremely horrifically) ingrained in the system that victimized people are blamed for the rape AND the rapist doesn’t even recognize the act as sin. Thanks be to God, despite David’s claims; it was another human who confronted him about his sin – of murdering Uriah and stealing Bathsheba. (It has no mention of the rape, despite his abuse of power).

David’s remorse notes some critical points that us believers (and church folk) ought to consider as notable for our approach to the rape and violence culture around and within our lives.

He named his actions sin – simply put; the Church MUST call rape and violence culture sin. Let’s not sugarcoat it. It is Sin

He acknowledged that it was evil – all Evil is sinful perhaps but not every Sin is evil. Rape needs to be acknowledged as Evil. In God’s sight, and as a Crime against humanity.

He further declared God’s response justifiable and right. Despite the grace he received;2 Samuel 12 clearly indicates that David also met with God’s judgement. As king, it was perhaps hard to convict him legally but God was not asleep. And God’s judgement was delivered by God’s own prophet Nathan. Do we, do you, do I have the integrity to call out sin of rape and violence when we see it? Will we be willing to speak out on behalf of the un-believed for the sake of God’s Justice?

So many have come out with scathing remarks about the Church, and perhaps by extension about God, because of our silence on this issue. While the statistics in France, the reports of atrocities in ‘Indian Schools’ in Canada and US and the many other cases against the Church are horrific; there’s more that’s uncovered and a culture to be changed. Can we rise to the challenge?

Silence is complicity; and complicity is sin.

Selah

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May all we seek be found in Christ