Abuse is bad at the best of times, but when it comes from those who profess to represent a holy, loving God it is even more shocking. Where do you turn if you have been subject to abuse? Naturally we want to encourage anyone who has suffered abuse to report it to the relevant authorities, whether that is TUSLA or the Gardaí, we need to ensure that all such abuse is reported and the guilty are punished. But even when this is done, the victim has to live with the scars. Our Bible reading this morning taught us that Jesus knew what it was like to suffer abuse by the hands of powerful religious men, we saw that Christianity is unique in that we have a God who entered into our mess, he understands, but He is not just with us, He is for us. He entered into our pain to bring us out of our pain forever.
You can read the Bible reading here and listen to the recording at the link below.