Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Facing the scars


““You’re a priest?”

Well, Anglican minister actually...”

The fear flickered through her eyes before she could hide it. Would her child be safe with me as his soccer coach?

It was another reminder of the terrible name the church has for many people. The sexual abuse of children within the church has left many deeply scarred. Where churches have covered up this evil, protecting the institution and forgetting the victim, the damage is even greater. Why would anyone want to identify with an institution like the church where it does appalling evil. Sadly, the behaviour of Christians - individually and corporate - undermines the plausibility of the Gospel.

I preached on this topic recently. What can we say to victims and to those that love them?

To read more, click here.

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