Speak Up For the Oppressed and Abused
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
It started off innocently enough, like a sweet dream, but then it became a horrible reality she couldn’t escape. First came the jealousy—he told her she was paying “too much attention” to her friends and that it was her “fault” when men smiled at her.
Soon he turned controlling until her life centered on him. His angry words escalated. He punched a wall, broke a glass. Then, he hit her. Later, he bought her roses and swore it’d never happen again.
Abuse happens all around us. According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced physical, sexual, or stalking-related domestic violence during their lifetime, and more than 43 million women and 38 million men endured psychological aggression by an intimate partner.
With the vast amount of bad news bombarding us daily, it’s tempting to ignore this problem. But as followers of Christ, we must maintain open ears. We must do what we can to stand up for the oppressed, mistreated, and abused.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
If you suspect someone you know is a victim, talk to her. Ask how you can help. Call the authorities. See what your church can do to get involved or whether domestic violence shelters in your area could use donations or support.
Love isn’t supposed to hurt.
Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministry team. She’s also an author who currently serves as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. She is the author of More Like Jesus: A Devotional Journey (2018) and editor of Stories of Racial Awakening: Narratives on Changed Hearts and Lives of South Carolina United Methodists (2018), both from her newspaper’s Advocate Press. She also writes contemporary women’s fiction, represented by Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2018 Genesis Contest. She has a faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com.
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Originally published Saturday, 14 December 2019.
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