Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly
Like many of you, my heart has been broken to see the Southern Baptist Convention all over the news the past few weeks regarding the sexual abuse investigation. While it hurts me to see the denomination painted in such a negative light, it pains me even more to think of the abuse and suffering that has been allowed to go on for so long. I’ve read countless articles on the topic and scrolled through Twitter way too much. I’ve talked with longtime SBC friends about what this all means. I won’t pretend to have all of the answers, but I do think God has something for all of us to learn and to do in reaction to this story. One of my very favorite bible verses is Micah 6:8. It’s been a family/ministry verse for a long time, and interestingly enough, it’s also the theme verse for the Christian school where I work. I’m a girl that loves a good checklist, and I think Micah spells it out for us pretty well. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (NIV)
Act justly
Act justly. When I hear this phrase, I think of people working to make sure that justice is served. This can mean pushing for people to receive a punishment and to be held accountable for their wrongdoings. But I think this phrase “act justly” also includes a command to help those that are vulnerable. It’s a call to make sure that they receive fair treatment and their needs are being met. It’s a call to stand up for what is right. In regards to the recent SBC Sexual Abuse Report, I see this as a time for us to do all that we can to make sure that people are held accountable for their wrongdoings. People that have sexually abused and harassed others must be held accountable both by the law and by the church. We need to do all that we can as a denomination and as individual churches to make sure there are safeguards in place to prevent future abuse. We need to properly report and handle any allegations of misconduct. It is our biblical responsibility to act justly on behalf of those that have been abused and to work to prevent any future abuse.
Love mercy
Love mercy. This phrase is sometimes translated as “love faithfulness”. God has lavished His mercy and faithfulness upon us. In this verse, He’s asking us to do the same for others. We should shower compassion and love on people all around us, but most especially those that are hurting. God desires for us to faithfully love them. How do we apply this principle to the SBC situation? We must watch our words and our tone. We must realize that people are watching. When news of this latest report came out, my husband sent an email to our church body making them aware of it. He shared some resources for people to look at and explained some steps our church would be taking in the days ahead. Within a few hours, he’d had multiple emails from people in our church (men and women) that have been sexually abused. While their abuse may not have happened in the church, their pain is real. We must acknowledge that many members of our congregations have suffered sexual abuse and harassment. The way we handle this will speak volumes to them. We show that we “love mercy”, when we choose people over policies and when we listen and learn more than we point fingers.
Walk humbly
Walk humbly. This phrase points to our attitude and our posture. I see it as a call to recognize our own sin and our need for God’s help. In regards to this SBC scandal, I think we need to repent for all that has happened. We need to weep for those that were abused. We need to apologize to those that tried to warn us and were ignored. Most of us did not take part in this first hand, but there is something biblical and meaningful about corporate confession and lament. We all could have done better. I’ve always told my children that an “I’m sorry!” that is mumbled or said against their will means nothing. But if they are truly sorry for what they have done they will take action to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The same holds true for our churches and denomination. We need to humble ourselves, admit we were wrong, and take action to keep it from happening again. I’ve read and heard people saying that this sexual abuse report is just a distraction to keep us from our mission of evangelism. I would strongly disagree. I see it as a time when God is bringing to light the sins that have been covered up for too long. Our God is a God of truth, and He will not condone hidden sin. As Micah 6:8 shows us, God calls us to work in humility and compassion to fight for justice for those that have been wronged. We will be freed up for greater ministry and evangelism efforts in the days ahead once we’ve rightly dealt with the sin in our own camp.
Melissa Busby serves in the women’s, youth, and children’s ministries at South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, MA, where her husband serves as senior pastor.
