Life is full of heartbreak. Some is closer than others. Auburn, Alabama struggles with the loss of life and Penn State grapples with what one man (uhh, not that coach) is capable of.
These? They are just the articles in the newspaper to many of us. The truth is that there is heartache, evil, and chaos in plain sight. We don't have to look far to find people hurting from some pretty heinous abuses of power.
Whether we admit it or not, there are atrocities right under our noses. A colleague and I were discussing differences between American and Indian culture and she said, "here in America we are good at hiding things. In India nothing is hidden."
We *are* good at hiding things. Well, at least shielding them from our conscience.
Is that a good thing? If society is full of heartbreak should we should put our heads in the sand? That takes a lot of money and some people are willing to spend a few bucks to do just that.
But I think the Bible says a thing or two about hiding things in plain sight. I think we can take heart. A few thoughts about the high-profile cases I bring up:
- Sandusky - The fear for me is that there are other predators like Sandusky that have not been caught yet. I have a good mind to say there is no justice in a case like this. Years of trauma, abuse, and turning a blind eye. Nothing the State can do will rectify that. But this doesn't mean hope is lost. Justice is about making things right, not just punishment. There are a lot of ways to make things more right than they are now, even in the Sandusky case. His public denials of any wrongdoing sure do sound obtuse considering the blatant inappropriateness but I have to believe he could come to a new life working to amend his wrongs. There are others out there who think they aren't doing anything wrong. Or, much more likely, know they are doing wrong and can't stop themselves. We have a duty to love them into health.
- Auburn Shootings - This is just the shooting you've heard about. If there hadn't been Auburn football players involved, sadly, you may not have known about it. The problem is so much deeper than gun control or people control. The very forces that encouraged this young man to carry a gun for protection (or left him no other option?) must be addressed. I hope they find him and I hope he can appreciate the severity of taking human life in his own hands.
Both of these situations - predatory sexual abuse and mindless escalation of violence start so much earlier than the act or the trial.
My hope and prayer is that we can stop denying the abuses we see in plain sight. May we even be courageous enough to seek out those sins and hurts that are hidden and face them.
(so you know, that pic came from this website. I can't even believe it exists. And no, Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. Yes, photoshop is awesome.)
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