Abuse is not just an evil act that is done to a person, but it’s also what is not done.
In Ezekiel 34 the Bible talks about what the leaders failed to do towards the people of Israel.
“Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.”
Ezekiel 34:4
While there are some shepherds of churches working hard to help the sick and broken, there are many who are not.
The sickly could represent the 2 out of three women abused in Fiji. Last year I asked 100 local women if they had ever heard a sermon where the pastor addressed abuse. 68% said no. Why are our shepherds failing to address one of the biggest issues the nation is facing? 83% of the women surveyed said they wished their church created a safe space for them to discuss abuse.
We are failing to strengthen the sick (those living in fear, being beaten, raped, belittled, controlled). Many women reach out to me for help. The first thing I ask them is: ‘Do you attend a church and can you get help from your leaders?’ The answer is always no. They don’t feel safe telling them, they don’t feel like they will be believed. Or when they have gone to a leader for help, they’ve been given some spiritual answer like pray or forgive or even worse….the abuse is your fault.
64% of women wished their church would appoint a trained counsellor. Our churches are lacking the resources to strengthen the sick and heal the broken. We are busy raising $$ for our buildings & programs but we fail to provide the needed help to heal the sheep. 74% said they would like their church to run workshops on abuse.
As a parent, if you fail to feed & clothe your child or take them to the doctor if they break their leg, this is called neglect. That is a form of abuse, child safety will take your child off you. The same goes for the leaders of God’s people. If we fail to provide the care that is needed to see them flourish we are being neglectful (abusive)
The scripture goes on to say to the leaders….because you were more interested in feeding yourself I will be against you. Because these shepherds misused their God-given power, God removed the flock from their care.
Forgive us & help us Jesus.