Empathy for Victims of Trauma

 Children love to play. In summer, they play in the water and in winter they love to play in the snow.
But one particular Russian woman in Germany hated the snow because she spent her childhood in Siberia. Cold weather is fun, but extreme cold is torture.

Not all people who come from the same country or climate react in the same way. I know a German man in Australia who loves the tropical heat. Other Europeans love winter sports. 

There are truly devoted Christians who love Jesus and worship from the heart in church services, but there are also Christians who fulfil their religious duties for years but can hardly stay awake because of sheer boredom.

Then there are Christians who were brutally abused as children in church or school. For them, worship is torture. 

Some become mentally ill and never recover. Others commit suicide, and others become angry atheists or seek peace in yoga, Buddhism, or the occult.

Some find their way to God in evangelical churches or the Pentecostal movement. 

Normal people have a hunger for tender physical touch, but those who have been severely burned or injured cannot bear to be touched.

Those who have been harassed, abused, or humiliated in church may find church services threatening, not only in Catholic churches, but also in evangelical churches or in the charismatic movement.
 
In the Psalms, we read that we should praise and worship God with reverence and enthusiasm, but will God condemn a wounded soul if someone just wants to pray quietly?

There are also many people who experienced sexual abuse in their childhood or marriage. They are no longer fit for marriage, but they still have strong sexual feelings. 

If they want to obey God, not commit adultery, reject promiscuity, and any kind of sex outside marriage, they may seek relief in masturbation. Should we criticise this escape route when there is no mention of it in the Bible?

In Jesus' earthly life, we see God's deep compassion for wounded and rejected outsiders. Paul emphasises not the law, but the grace of God. Hopefully, we will learn how Jesus and Paul loved our fellow human beings and ourselves with God's mercy.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 NRSVue

The Wrong Cross. Jesus is not your tormentor.

In a dream I saw a Christian hanging on a cross. 

I don’t remember any more detail except that the Christian had been experiencing disappointing results in his efforts to serve God.
What was the reason for this lack of success. 

The words in my dream were as clear as the sun in the sky. 

“The wrong cross!”

The Christian was nailed to a cross but it was not by God’s appointment. What could that mean?

In the dream I saw nothing more specific and God did not speak to me directly about it but as I pondered the message, many real life stories came to mind.

Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul both taught that celibacy is a calling and a gift of God given only to some people. Paul was celibate but most of the Apostles, including Peter, were married.

Yet there are some churches that require all full time spiritual workers to be celibate. We read of sex scandals in the media on a regular basis. 

Clearly celibacy is for many people “The Wrong Cross.”

Many Christian women see their husband criminally assaulting their own children or corrupting them with pornography or incest. 

When such women protest, they are often not believed by church leaders or else they are told it is their own fault for not being a sexually satisfying wife. They are often told that it is a sin to leave their husband and that: “God hates divorce,” under any circumstances. 

If these women submit to this torture, they are on “The Wrong Cross.”

There are women who are taught that contraception is a sin and they must produce as many babies as they can.

They are on “The Wrong Cross.”

There are women who are taught that they must always, always, always obey their husbands. 

They are not free to serve God as disciples who receive their calling and direction straight from God. They are on “The Wrong Cross.”


There are women who are taught that they must not preach or teach or they must not preach or teach to men. Many are called and gifted by God to do what their leaders or husbands forbid. 

Many of these women are on “The Wrong Cross.”

Many Christians are taught that submission to the leaders of their church is their first duty. To leave or join another church is sin. 

They must sacrifice their dreams for their own life and ministry to serve the vision of the Senior Pastor. This can lead to a life of passive religiosity. They are not allowed to think for themselves or express any opinions other than those of their leaders.

These people are on “The Wrong Cross.”

Catholic Priests are called Father but many non Catholics are taught to be like obedient children under the control of a preacher.

I once heard a preacher teach that we must never challenge our pastor over anything because a pastor is accountable only to God and not to any man or woman.

What did Jesus say?

But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. Mt 23:8-10 (NKJV) 

There are Christians who are taught that God uses sickness to purify us through suffering. Many people suffer sickness, believing they are glorifying God.

They are on “The Wrong Cross.”

There is only one cross which deals with sickness, the cross of Jesus Christ.

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." Mt 8:16-17 (NKJV) 

When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus is the Healer, not the tormentor.

There are Christians who have been abused or mistreated for years. They develop a victim mentality, obsessed with injustice and their own suffering. Jesus lived, died and rose again to set you free.

Don’t stay on “The Wrong Cross.”

God Heals Broken Hearts

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (ESV) 

God is our loving heavenly Father. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (ESV) 

If you don’t love Jesus, He still loves you as His child but you are estranged from His love. Oil and water just don’t mix. God’s Holy love cannot mix with our selfish mistrustful nature. 

God sacrificed His only Son in heaven to win you back to Himself. When you and I live according to our faulty human nature, we get hurt and we hurt others without even trying. The world is full of broken hearted people. Our dear Father in heaven wants so much to heal our broken hearts but He is waiting for us to come to Him and trust Him.

If you really know Jesus, you cannot help but love Him. You have experienced His love and encouragement but He wants something from you. He wants you to look and see who is broken hearted. He wants to go with you to comfort and heal broken people.