The
Story
Miguel stood
with his back against the door frame, his heart pounding. Fear and sadness
filled his heart. As he looked at his dad’s face, he knew that something was
seriously wrong. That face was not filled with the love and compassion that a father
should have for his child; instead, it was marked with contempt, disgust, and
hatred.
The blood
dripping down Miguel’s face mingled with something else: his tears. The
physical pain in Miguel’s bleeding head paled in comparison to the emotional
pain in his heart. It was the pain of being subject to his dad’s anger and the
pain of feeling the absence of fatherly love. Miguel wanted it to end. He
wanted to get away, or to be swallowed up by the floor underneath his feet.
Anything else would have been better. So intense was his burden that to die, it
seemed to Miguel, would have been better.
The
Problem
Miguel’s
story illustrates just one particular aspect of a larger problem of abuse and
mistreatment in domestic relationships. Domestic issues include physical,
mental, emotional, and sexual abuse, and are
pervasive throughout the United States today. Lists of domestic
issues include parent abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and sibling abuse,
suggesting that no one is
completely immune to abuse. Statistics, combined with Miguel’s
saddening story, paint a dark picture. But there is a solution.
The
Solution
Returning to
the story, Miguel (years later, as an adult) described his family situation in
detail to an acquaintance. The acquaintance asked a very relevant question:
“How are you not dying inside?” The sad truth is that many individuals
who have experienced abuse are “dying inside,” so to speak. But Miguel’s
response
was to point to Jesus Christ, to whom Miguel credited his ability to
survive, and even thrive, in the wake of the abuse that he underwent as a child.
Miguel’s life had finally taken a turn for the better.
As Miguel’s
story demonstrates, it is possible to survive and thrive even after a rough
childhood. The Biblical story of Joseph further supports this conclusion;
Joseph was taunted by his family and then sold into slavery (Genesis 37), but
he eventually rose from captivity to power (Genesis 41:39-41). He used that
power to save many lives—and even to feed and protect those who betrayed his
trust and sold him as if he was a sack of corn. Joseph’s story is an excellent
example of the ability to overcome a difficult family history, and Joseph’s
behavior is an excellent example of a principle that Miguel lives by today: “Do
not repay anyone evil for evil.” (Romans 12:17) Miguel knows, as Joseph knew,
the solution that God can bring to those who need help.
Everyone has
a responsibility to strive for this solution. People who have experienced abuse
or mistreatment can be inspired by Joseph’s and Miguel’s stories to overcome the
difficulties of the past. Lawyers can counsel clients from a moral perspective,
pointing people to Jesus as Miguel does. And law students, in preparing to
counsel clients, can pray for and practice humility, self-control, service to
others, and spiritual leadership like that which Joseph exemplified. This is
Christian leadership that will restore families and change the world.
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