Reflection
There comes a time when silence becomes sin.
When our comfort, our reputation, or our loyalty to institutions begins to outweigh our loyalty to God’s truth — we have gone astray.
For too long, parts of the Church have been quicker to protect names than to protect souls. Quicker to defend a building than a body. Quicker to hush a cry for help than to confront a wrongdoer.
But God is not mocked by our polished statements or our selective compassion. Scripture is clear:
“Cease to do evil; learn to do good.
Seek justice, correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.”
— Isaiah 1:16-17
That is not a gentle suggestion. It’s a divine command.
God never told His people to “keep the peace” by covering sin. He told us to correct oppression.
He never told us to be neutral in the face of abuse. He told us to rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:3-4).
Every time a victim cries out and the Church remains silent, another generation learns to believe that God doesn’t care.
But He does. He always has.
It is we who have failed to reflect His heart.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.”
— Micah 6:8
Justice and mercy are not opposite ends of the Gospel — they are the same heartbeat.
To love mercy is to protect the wounded.
To do justice is to stand against the oppressor.
To walk humbly is to admit when we have failed, repent, and do better.
Call to Action
Church, this is our moment of repentance.
No more excuses. No more delays. No more apologies for abusers.
We must cleanse our pulpits, our pews, our programs, and our hearts.
- Believe victims. They are not our enemies; they are our mission.
- Hold perpetrators accountable. Grace is not a cover for continued harm.
- Teach safety and consent. God’s love does not demand silence or suffering.
- Model integrity. Stop confusing secrecy with faithfulness.
If we claim to serve a holy God, we must build holy spaces — where truth is spoken, safety is sacred, and love does no harm.
Because “nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Matthew 10:26).
And on that day, it will not be the abuser’s reputation that God asks us about — it will be the lives we refused to defend.
Prayer / Affirmation
Lord, cleanse Your Church.
Expose what is hidden. Heal what has been wounded.
Teach us to love like You love — fiercely, protectively, justly.
Make us a refuge for the harmed and abused, not a refuge for the guilty.
May every sanctuary become a place of truth, not silence.
And may Your people finally rise to say: Not in this house. Not anymore.
