An NFL player knocks his wife unconscious in an elevator and drags her body out of said elevator and when this comes to light, he is given a 2-game suspension. Then when the video surfaced five months later of him actually hitting her and went viral, the NFL finally acted and suspended him indefinitely.
The star Quarterback of the #1 football team in college football did not play a few weeks ago because he shouted an obscenity across campus at a female student while standing on top of a table.
Why does it take something so public to come out for us to stand up and do something about such an injustice?
Domestic violence is not a new thing, it's just been in the headlines recently with several high-profile athletes. So why is it being exposed for what it is just recently?
As Christians, we are called to expose darkness in any form (Ephesians 5.11-12) and not participate in that darkness. So how does one expose darkness? With light.
The tour at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky will lead you down in the dark depths of the earth. At one point, the tour guide tells everyone to shut off their lights. It's pitch black dark - you can't see your hand in front of your face. Exposure to that darkness for a prolonged period (only 3-4 days) can cause you to lose your eyesight permanently.
Then the tour guide takes out one match and lights it. It is amazing - it illuminates the entire cavern. Just that one speck of light can pierce the deepest darkness.
Odds are that you know someone who has suffered from domestic violence. You may have yourself. Domestic violence is a darkness that has gone unexposed for far too long. So my question is: how long are we willing to leave it that way? How will we be a light to pierce the darkness of domestic violence?
People suffering with domestic violence feel trapped. They may feel like they can't ever report it because they would get a loved one in trouble. They may feel like if they do that people will look at them differently.
But just like any other sin, domestic violence lives in the shroud of darkness, and we must expose it to the light. We must not fear the wrath of a loved one, the consequences of a child losing their father or mother, or any other public repercussions. We must stand up against it and report it, whether we are the victim or an innocent bystander. We must do what's right.
If you know someone in a domestic violence situation, don't keep it to yourself. Stand up. Report it. Be heard. Expose the darkness with light.
This post was part of The Light Network's Campaign Against Domestic Violence for the month of October. To read more from the blog hop, head over to their website at thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.