This is a difficult situation. My first instinct would be to make a safe place for victims to go being careful not to promote putting their safety in any organisation of the flesh. The Scriptures are clear though, we cannot send them on their way saying, "be warmed and be filled". It takes a community to stand up to sexual predators and hold them accountable, refusing to do trade or have anything to do with them. I suspect you're dealing with wounds of sexism as well as many of these men will be patriarchs in their homes and communities. Denying them these roles pulls at the very fabric of their world and rumours of power. The temptation to answer violence with violence is strong when it comes to sexual abuse.
One thing is certain, they ought be removed from the situation to a safe and dedicated place, and cared for by the fellowship until they can provide for themselves. The people should then be equipped with a response plan when sexual violence affects their community which will likely take a reintegration of the Anthrohead to include the body as central to redemption. All of this, of course, within their context--each step may well take years to implement. The slow work of the gospel can be supplemented with swift action to free those caught in sexual slavery to their abusers.
Totally agree. It will please you to know that the leaders who are putting this training together are already planning on a "pastoral counseling" certificate. It will be a training with action tools they can use for this kind of situations. The training is designed to not only give them pastoral counseling tools, but also helping them heal from the wounds of the war. In the poste today, I am speaking from the perspective of somebody who was just invited to their community for a short period of time. Hence, the "I am struggling to see redemption" phrase.
That does please me to know, thank you. I'm starting to think of it like the progression of care from improving the availability of healthcare information, the increased presence of individuals certified in First Aide, the First Response team rushing in to administer acute life saving treatment and transporting to short/long term recovery units. The healthcare community has that down pat; we could learn a thing or two I think and thus reduce our anxiety for thinking we have to be the ones to administer everything. You increased their knowledge and now they are training for "first-aide certification," you did well.
I have loved this series so much . Thankyou
This is a difficult situation. My first instinct would be to make a safe place for victims to go being careful not to promote putting their safety in any organisation of the flesh. The Scriptures are clear though, we cannot send them on their way saying, "be warmed and be filled". It takes a community to stand up to sexual predators and hold them accountable, refusing to do trade or have anything to do with them. I suspect you're dealing with wounds of sexism as well as many of these men will be patriarchs in their homes and communities. Denying them these roles pulls at the very fabric of their world and rumours of power. The temptation to answer violence with violence is strong when it comes to sexual abuse.
One thing is certain, they ought be removed from the situation to a safe and dedicated place, and cared for by the fellowship until they can provide for themselves. The people should then be equipped with a response plan when sexual violence affects their community which will likely take a reintegration of the Anthrohead to include the body as central to redemption. All of this, of course, within their context--each step may well take years to implement. The slow work of the gospel can be supplemented with swift action to free those caught in sexual slavery to their abusers.
Totally agree. It will please you to know that the leaders who are putting this training together are already planning on a "pastoral counseling" certificate. It will be a training with action tools they can use for this kind of situations. The training is designed to not only give them pastoral counseling tools, but also helping them heal from the wounds of the war. In the poste today, I am speaking from the perspective of somebody who was just invited to their community for a short period of time. Hence, the "I am struggling to see redemption" phrase.
That does please me to know, thank you. I'm starting to think of it like the progression of care from improving the availability of healthcare information, the increased presence of individuals certified in First Aide, the First Response team rushing in to administer acute life saving treatment and transporting to short/long term recovery units. The healthcare community has that down pat; we could learn a thing or two I think and thus reduce our anxiety for thinking we have to be the ones to administer everything. You increased their knowledge and now they are training for "first-aide certification," you did well.