By Tyson Thorne

January 25, 2018
 

I confess, I've not given the #MeToo movement enough consideration. When women started coming out with accusations against men they have worked with for sexual sin, I had two knee-jerk reactions. The first was a question: if such crimes occurred, why wait so long to report it? I was willing to dismiss the claims wo reasons: the length of time between the act and the report, and the lack of evidence for the claim. The second reaction was that it was largely a political movement, with an anti-biblical feminist agenda. While the later may be true, I was wrong to dismiss it so readily.

To God, all sin is an affront to his perfection. This includes sexual sin of the kind being reported by the MeToo movement. I am not so niave as to think that all the admissions are true, or that all are relevant (like Meryl Streep's accusation that Dustin Hoffman slapped her too hard during their performance in the movie Kramer vs. Kramer). But many of the accusations are demonstrably true, such as Harvey Weinstein's abhorrent behavior. While the media rush to "wisdom" of psychiatists asking if Hollywood can be rehabilitated, the church has the only real answer for offenders and victims alike.

I'm willing to bet that every one of you knows someone who has been sexually assaulted in some manner or other. It isn't just women, either. I've talked with men abused by their wives. Such activity produces such shame they feel they cannot talk to other men about it for fear of losing respect and honor. It is likely even more under-reported than crimes against women. No, I'm not joining the MeToo movement. Thankfully I have escaped all such victim-hood, by the grace of God. My point is that there is pain on both sides of the sexual aisle, and a lot of healing to be made.

God is not immune to the suffering of his children. Just as he heard the lament of his people Israel while enslaved by Egypt, he hears our desperate cries when we are victimized or oppressed. We may not be able to avenge those who hurt us, but we can rest in God's embrace and know that justice does in fact come in time. And while forgiveness is the power of the cross for all who trust in Jesus, punishment for sin was poured out on that same cross, and on that same savior, and will be on all who do not repent. What this means is that striving to forgive the villains in our life does not preclude seeking justice. When we are violated by man, we must seek justice in the court of man.

The duality of the cross should not be lost on the evil doer, either. Jesus suffered for all our sins, how much more shall one endure for rejecting Jesus' suffering and offer of forgiveness? To the sinner, God offers more than forgiveness. He offers more than all the psychology in the world. He offers to make us a new creation. We can overcome our lusts, our dark impulses, and sinful drives if we let Jesus in. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, and he can heal even the most scarred mind.

I mentioned at the start of this article that it is likely we all know a victim of sexual sin. The converse is also likely true, that we know someone who perpetrated a sexual sin. The solution in both cases is Jesus and the power of the cross.

 
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