(written June, 2016)
I am trying with all my heart to withhold my thoughts of this father and son. Nevertheless, I will rise above the disgust and anger and say the following with grace, love, and forgiveness.
This father’s attempt, which worked as far as punishment goes, to negate his son’s vicious and heinous crime, to bring some sort of spotlight on his ‘poor’ child, to rename the victim in this case, as his son, has left me hurt.
Furthermore, to watch as a judge gave in to the father’s plea, a plea that included a summary of “20 minutes of action” is troublesome. Rape, dear sir, is a crime.
However, if you read the victim’s statement, which she read herself to the guilty party; you would hear words of grace, and eloquence. She exhibited the heart of a true champion of survival.
The saddest part of this story, in my opinion, is the lack of remorse on behalf of this young man. He is yet to admit his guilt, therefore, how can he be remorseful? Though his father convinced a judge he was quite sorry for what happened that night, the young man says nothing.
This, my friends, is where society has gone. We have raised generations with no significant care for humanity. People are more likely to care diligently for their I-phone before they will care for another human being. The stone wall erected around the hearts of people keeps out compassion, integrity, decency, honesty, and love for one another.
This young man moved forward into the act of raping a young woman without one thought of his consequence. Running away as a coward, and never admitting it was rape. Unfairly sentenced to a mere six months, he gets off easy, but His victim, sentenced to a lifetime. She will forever feel a deep wound that will never completely heal. She accurately stated, “..He is stripped of luxuries as a Stanford star athlete”…still, she remains stripped of a small piece from within.
Where has accountability gone? Where is that inner voice that reminds people “this is wrong”? Where is the strength to stand up against evil, in our own lives and around our lives?
This young man ignored every internal sign, as the lust and evil took over.
This is sin.
When we intentionally choose what is against God, it is sin. While his sin, advertised on social media and read worldwide, is indeed sin, it is no different from any other sin.
We, as a world community, have fought each other from the beginning of time. We can read of the lack of respect for others in the popular Bible story of Moses, where one specific group of people were slaves to another. It’s an old story still found today in the hearts of many.
This young man threw away his obligation to love one another. However, this entire world has places where people refuse to love one another. He is simply the example of a much larger problem within humanity.
We see a general lack of compassion for each other on a daily basis. People say it is getting worse.
Hearts have turned away from Jesus. Systematically God disappeared from many areas of our world, people sat back and simply watched in silence. Silently watching, and quietly praying, but never actively fighting back. So now, here we are. God is not only removed from places; God has become removed from hearts!
Our world has changed. Our hearts have hardened, become indifferent, and it is an obvious problem. People say they believe in God, but pursue relationships and prioritize life without intentionally pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The deeper I go with Jesus, the more love I have for you. Does this young man know Jesus Christ? I am not sure. Does his father know Jesus, we may never know. But for the people out there, who, in all honesty, are quite upset by both of their lack of responsibility in this crime, we must remember to lead by example, to live Christ out loud to a world in need. If they do not know Jesus Christ, it seems now is a great time to meet him.
Our responsibility is to share the good news with rapists and murderers, and everyone else out there who may not know him. We do not get to discriminate in who meets Jesus, it is our job to introduce; God will take over from there.
People matter.
Women matter.
Men matter.
the story…
Authentic Truths 