Bruised Reed - Musings of an Abuse Survivor

Apparently, The Gospel Coalition has responded to an excellent, but not-so-favorable, article on domestic abuse recently released in Australia, by publishing an " open letter " in which they appear to condemn abusers. :headdesk:  :headdesk:  :headdesk: There are so many problems with this letter, I don't even know where to begin.  They may be hard for most readers to spot, but nonetheless, they most certainly exist.  Let's start with the intended audience of this "open letter" - the abusers.  Why does Mr. Campbell address the people least likely to even read such a post, let alone admit that it applies to them?  It is a well-known fact that abusers will always seek to shift the blame for their actions onto others, and avoid accepting responsibility for their behaviors at all costs.  Why does he not address it instead to the victims of abuse?  The ones who are hurting and desperate?  Those who could use public support and encouragement...

My husband and I went to see the new 'Wonder Woman' film the other night. I expected it to be good, since I hadn't heard or read anything negative about the film, but I didn't expect it to be *that* good.  I expected to be entertained. I didn't expect to be transformed. I have never related to a movie character as much as I relate to Wonder Woman. Like Diana, I was raised in a very sheltered environment, yet not truly protected from or prepared for the true dangers in life. I, too, had a very naive and innocent view of the world, and have had a rather brutal awakening to the fact that some people are just plain evil, Ares or no Ares. I have often felt that there was something out there that wanted to destroy me, and it has tried many times to do so, because it feared what I would become and what I will accomplish. I have struggled to balance my own compassion and desire to help others with the fact that I can't save everyone, especially tho...

He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  ~  Micah 6:8 "You can’t have justice without mercy, and achieving both requires humility as well. Justice is the pursuit of what is right. It is helping those who are weak, fighting for those who have been wronged, speaking against those who oppress their fellow women and men." - Tim Fall _____________________________________________________________________ This verse has been on my mind for some time now.  I grew up hearing it preached and taught fairly often.  I even sang a song about it with a group of friends several years ago!  Like many other things, my understanding of the concept of justice has shifted significantly in recent years.  I used to think that justice was some abstract quality that only God Himself practiced, or perhaps human judicial systems as well.  I thought that it was only ...