Pain In The Pews

I listened to a testimony segment on my favourite radio station this morning. The person hosting the program this morning was not the usual female host, but a man. This male presenter would normally take over when she was absent.. Usually the testimonies would be joyful and upbeat. But the first person who called in spoke tearfully about being sexually abused by someone, and that testimony set the tone for the whole 45 minutes of the testimony segment. I listened as, one after one, the ladies talked about their horrible ordeals when they were children. The majority said that when they told an adult, usually their mother, that someone was abusing them, they would be beaten and forbidden to speak about it to anyone in case shame and disgrace came to the family because of it. Only one woman said that her mother believed her when she told her the reason why she was behaving disrespectfully to a certain gentleman that the mother had respected. The woman said that she was surprised at her mother's reaction; they had not been in good speaking terms because of her (the woman's) rebellious ways.

I listened with fresh disbelief and sadness as these poor women gave their testimonies. Even though it was a time of testimony, I could still hear the pain and hurt in these women's voices when giving their stories. The male host was so overwhelmed that he cried. He could not speak for a moment when one of the women asked him a question. He said later that he could not understand how an adult could abuse a child. He was flabbergasted at the fact that mothers refused to believe or even listen to their children when they were told of the abuse. When the program shift was over, he admitted that he was still overwhelmed by the types of testimonies he had heard.

I believe that nothing happens just like that; that male presenter was there because God wanted him to be here to hear the testimonies of these women. Maybe God wants him to do something about the incidence of sexual abuse that young children had, being a father himself. 

Listening to that program today made me realise anew how much the Body of Christ is in pain. In an organisation whose Head promised healing of wounds, love, joy and peace, how come there are so many hurting people sitting in the pews? Those hurting ladies that spoke so brokenly on the telephone may be seemingly serene, smiling, well put together women in churches. Maybe even leaders and elders. Maybe even pastors' wives! It means that something is very wrong in the churches today. It is either that the Holy Spirit is showing the leaders those people who are hurting, and they are ignoring His word or are helpless to help them, or the leaders are not seeing the hurting people in the churches. Whatever the reason is, the Body of Christ, the Church is in big trouble!

"(God) healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Psalm 147:3 (KJV)