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...

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 ...

My pseudonym might seem rather strange or unusual on the surface, but I assure you, it wasn't chosen at random.  It comes from a passage of Old Testament Scripture - Isaiah 42, to be exact - and is quoted in the New Testament, in Matthew chapter 12.  Although my interpretation may not be correct, I feel as though Isaiah refers to people who are downtrodden and discouraged and ready to give up because of the way others have abused them, but Christ spares them and lifts them up again.  Reeds are fragile and rather useless individually, but when woven together, they can become quite strong and durable!  I am the "bruised reed" and "smoking flax" in this verse.  There have been so many times when I should have been crushed or snuffed out by abuse, but I was not.  I am weak, I am small, I am easily broken, yet still, God loved me enough to care for me when no one else would, and deliver me from those who desired to destroy my soul and my life.  He kept ...