Domestic Violence: Why Should I Care?
Domestic abuse can seem like an issue that belongs somewhere else - to other families, other communities or "the world outside." But abuse occurs within Christian homes too. For the church, understanding domestic abuse is not simply a social issue. It is a matter of justice, protection, discipleship and faithful care for one another.
God cares about oppression
Let’s say that none of your family and friends are experiencing abuse in the home. Should you still care? Well, a good starting point is: does God care? What is God’s heart regarding domestic violence?
You won’t read an explicit reference to domestic abuse in the Bible; however, God’s heart for the vulnerable is clear throughout the whole Bible.
In fact, oppression (an unjust or excessive exercise of power) is addressed over and over in the Bible. Oppression comes from a Latin word that basically means ‘to press upon’. When God gave Israel the law at Mt Sinai, we see over and over that He was concerned for the poor, the widows and orphans, and the sojourners. God was very clear about what would happen to Israel if they did not uphold justice, mercy and order. And we saw that play out with the exiles. Multiple prophets called Israel to account for how they dealt with the vulnerable among them. Israel failed to listen, and God dispersed them among the nations. In Isaiah 1:16, 17 God addresses Judah’s wickedness and says “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause”.
In contrast to oppressive behaviour, God has told us what is good in Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”
Jesus identifies with the vulnerable
Then Jesus came to earth and we saw directly his heart for the vulnerable. In Luke 4, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. He opened the scroll to Isaiah 61 and read “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” He then proclaimed this scripture fulfilled in their presence. James understood that this was more than just spiritual, when he wrote “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widow in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
The church is called to protect
Abuse is a very real form of oppression. As Chris Moles puts it: “Because people are made in the image of God, abuse in all its forms represent demonic distortions of God’s clear design for people and relationships.”1
Jesus made it clear that as Christians we are to love our neighbours and care for the vulnerable. (We can consider women and children who have been neglected, abandoned or mistreated by the men they live with to be among the modern-day widows and orphans.) Further, in Proverbs 31:8-9 God urges believers to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Women who experience domestic violence are often isolated and in great need of support. Caring about domestic violence aligns with God’s call to protect those suffering injustice.
“We need to remember that God delivers His people not just from their own sin but also from injustices. When God speaks to Moses out of the burning bush, He says “I am the God of your fathers, I have observed the misery of my people, I have heard their cry on account of their oppressors. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them.” God introduces Himself to His people as their deliverer and protector. God asks His people repeatedly in Scripture to work for justice and righteousness. This is who we, as worshippers of God, are told to be, people who do justice. God calls us to confront oppression but also to provide protection and care for the vulnerable. We see Jesus doing these things. He identifies with the powerless, takes up their cause, and stands against those who do harm to the vulnerable. This is who we are to be, deliverers and protectors.”(Darby Strickland, Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused)
Perpetrators need faithful intervention too
Further to this, we can also be concerned for the heart of the perpetrator. God is not glorified when his children are caught up in life-dominating sins. Do we care enough for that brother to want to help him to understand his sin, to call him to account for it so that he might repent of it and live a new life through the power of the Holy Spirit?
Domestic abuse can happen in Christian homes
Some people indicate that while they agree that domestic violence is not good, it’s not something they need to be educated about as it doesn’t affect them. Don’t assume that your circle of people is unaffected by domestic violence! Other articles delve further into domestic violence. For now, let’s be clear that as active members of a community, we will be engaging (probably without realising it) with people who either experience domestic violence, or who perpetuate domestic violence. We can be better hands and feet for each other by being educated on what domestic violence looks like, and how to best help those who experience it. We can model godly relationships and prove ourselves to be a safe and supportive people for those who might be struggling with this evil. And ultimately, we can become a community that grows in understanding how God would have us relate to one another as men and women in a way that upholds the honour and personhood of each individual to God’s glory, so that we are a community with healthy, thriving marriages.
Will you have a conversation this week around domestic violence? Will you be curious about it, together with your family or friends?
1. Brad Hambrick (ed), Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused, (https://churchcares.com)