Every week in my journey is different and filled with so many opportunities for grace, given and received. This morning I sit here and am reflecting on the last five days and the people who have allowed me the privilege of entering their journey for this moment in time. In these journeys I have listened, celebrated, cried and prayed and each story has left a mark on my inner being, changing me and the world in which I live. Saturday evening I received a random phone call from someone who found my name and number on our website and wondered if perhaps we could meet. I met two people at the church and was taken into a place of deep grief, fear, confusion and anger as they shared with me something that happened in their lives that simply blew their world apart. First of all I felt humbled and privileged that I was being invited into this space, for however long. Secondly, I could not help but reflect that we have such a long way to go if our communities are going to be truly safe places where all people are treated with respect and dignity.
There have been many movements over the last 20 years or so that have focused on violence against women and tried desperately to take this violence out of the shadows and into the light. We have support groups and transition houses and victim support centers. And yet, there is still a culture in our society that denigrates women, treats them as objects and thinks it’s funny. Standing up against this attitude is not easy and many of us perpetuate it by remaining silent. Here are some staggering statistics that draw a picture of what this violence looks like:
- Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16.
- One of every 17 Canadian women is raped at some point in her life
- A woman is sexually assaulted by forced intercourse every 17 minutes in Canada
- Girls and young women between the ages of 15-24 are the most likely victims
As those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus we are compelled to bring the light and change the culture in which we live. Jesus did not stand by and remain silent in the face of injustice and he certainly did not perpetuate a culture that placed the lives of women in danger. We must continue to work for safer streets, safe places for people to go when something like this happens and most importantly we must begin by teaching our children and change the culture that we live in.
This is something that affects us all, our daughters, sisters, mothers, sons, husbands, fathers.
I am thankful that I was there to answer the call on Saturday. I pray that I was able to provide a safe place, an ear to listen, some words of hope and the assurance of someone who would walk the journey with them.
Blessings
Valerie