“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Is 1:17
“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause
of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.” Rom 13:4
Somebody flicked the summer switch and sent a
blast of heat our way. Plants exploded so the yard and gardens needed some TLC.
The veggies are planted and doing well. The new shed is now 75% completed, just
waiting on some more barn boards to finish it up. I also returned to work last
week, doing my part to get our temporary location up and running: sign painting
mostly.
My group has started, too, on a Tuesday
evening.
Most of all, I needed a break.
It rained a much needed dose of rain most of
the day, shutting down any outside work. I hadn’t thought I’d be painting today
but here I am.
There hadn’t been much in the way of
information from TMH regarding the ongoing investigations until yesterday.
Police have arrested and charged Bruxy with sexual assault. I don’t know if
this is connected to the circumstances at church or if it is a separate charge.
CBC News posted an article. The press doesn’t
know either.
In the article, police stated they want all
sexual violence survivors to know the service believes them.
It’s about time.
Justice has turned a blind eye on far too
many women. I have heard story after story of how police downplayed, blamed the
victim, or out and out ignored a woman’s story of abuse and assault. He said, she said always favoured the man.
There is no statute of limitations on sexual
offenses. This is a good thing but utterly useless if police don’t do their
part and take victims seriously.
My friend asked me if I had thought about
what had happened to Bruxy that led him down this dark path. My gut response
was, “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
But as I sit here and write, the hard truth
of multiple offenses by one person has me wondering if the men who abused me
also abused others. Have I, by being silent, granted tacit permission for them
to hurt others?
There is no statute of limitations on sexual
offenses.
This means if Bruxy was abused, he also can
come forward.
99.9% of the time abusers were themselves
abused. I just can’t wrap my head around why they do this when they know how
much damage and pain it causes. Is it because if a boy has been abused by a
man, he grows up needing to go the extra mile to prove his manhood and sexual
prowess with women? How do adults who molest children fit into this puzzle? Do
I even want to know?
I’d rather be in the garden right now rather
than think about all this. I’d rather be inhaling the sweet fragrance of the
peonies that always bloom the day before it rains. Rain isn’t kind to the
massive blooms. They end up a pink, soggy, ground kissing mess. I am thankful
that only one of my half dozen plants has flowered. The rest have yet to open.
The necessary ants are hard at work to help them along. They have a symbiotic
relationship with the flowers, feasting on the sticky excretions of the buds.
Without ants, the peony flowers would stay stuck closed.
Maybe that’s what justice is. It plays a
crucial role to help a flower bloom.
So, Lord, where there needs to be justice,
grant the people involved the courage, the integrity, and the desire to see it
done.
Wikipedia notes the blindfold on the justice
figure was originally a satirical addition intended to show justice as blind to
the injustice carried on before her. Even though it’s now interpreted as
impartiality, there is still far too much truth in the original intent.
Lord, here’s another prayer thanks to
Wikipedia. Let justice be applied without regard to wealth, power or other
status. AMEN!
