Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church

Pineridge Blog

Me Too
by Anonymous | September 27, 2018



Me Too

 

This week Bill Cosby was finally sentenced to prison, convicted of sexual assault after years of allegations by multiple women were ignored.  Underscoring that this is a different time,  when women made similar ugly allegations about a Supreme Court nominee it resulted in a high profile Senate hearing Thursday. But what has really changed in the #MeToo era?  Is it all just a political circus?  If his life and distinguished career are ruined because of politically motivated lies, that is certainly criminal.  But if these women really are the victims of a sexual predator hiding behind judge’s robes, and they are ignored, that would be a far greater injustice.

I am amazed that powerful men in the last year have been fired, forced to resign, or publically shamed so quickly after being exposed for their credible abuses against women.  But the exposure of the widespread brute machismo; the blind sense of male entitlement; and that women are still only seen by many men as objects of male desire to be exploited are very discouraging.

I have hope that we live in a time of real change where there will be greater safety for all, especially women and children.  My prayer is that as Christians we are guided by the Gospel, which portray Jesus as a man of real courage and strength, who did not count his power,  “as something to be exploited,” but served all.  He humbly served others by giving himself fully to listen, to heal and to love men and women, young and old, of all social stations.  He is the model of compassion for all of us in all of our relationships.

The first time Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah was to a woman of questionable character drawing water in the middle of the day.  He offered himself to her as ‘Living Water.’  The last person he invited to share a meal with him before entering Jerusalem was Zacchaeus; a man known for his great wealth accrued by his even greater abuse of power as the local chief tax collector.  Zacchaeus was so transformed by the encounter with Jesus, he promised to live for others as zealously as he had taken advantage of them.

 

Jim