**Warning** This post contains some material that may not be suited for younger readers.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
I always thought I was a pretty loving person. I was a very cuddly child. An affectionate adolescent. My friend, Scott, called me “The Hugging Machine.” I collected hugs like badges to prove to myself that I was loveable.
But the truth was, I wasn’t as much a loving person as a needy one. There is a difference. But I didn’t start to learn that until I started to understand God’s outrageous, extravagant, indescribable, unconditional love for me. Once I really realized that God loved me, I started to see other people through God’s eyes of love.
But that created a new problem—I now see how much the world hates itself and each other. And it breaks my heart.
A little over a week ago, I dropped in for a few minutes on Twitter. An author that I sincerely respect had tweeted a link that absolutely appalled her. Because I know her testimony and know that it is similar to mine, I visited the link and found something that ripped open scabs in me and made me absolutely livid.
Tokyo, Japan (CNN) — The game begins with a teenage girl on a subway platform. She notices you are looking at her and asks, “Can I help you with something?”
That is when you, the player, can choose your method of assault.
With the click of your mouse, you can grope her and lift her skirt. Then you can follow her aboard the train, assaulting her sister and her mother.
As you continue to play, “friends” join in and in a series of graphic, interactive scenes, you can corner the women, rape them again and again.
The game allows you to even impregnate a girl and urge her to have an abortion. The reason behind your assault, explains the game, is that the teenage girl has accused you of molesting her on the train. The motive is revenge.
From www.cnn.com – “’RapeLay’ video game goes viral amid outrage” – March 31, 2010 edition
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And as people around the world swipe their credit cards to purchase this game or download it on the internet, the enemy’s voice whispers into the hot recesses of their hearts, “Video games never hurt anybody.” But you and I know the truth. This game is just another symptom of the world-wide disease that the enemy has spread to hate, injure, crush, and destroy each other—and ourselves.
Even now as I write this, I can hear my friend Joell saying, “Oh, how our Lord must weep over this!” And I know her words are true because He has always wept over His children:
Luke 19:41-44 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you didn’t recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Sad, isn’t it, that humans are not content to hate each other? We spread it to our children. When we hate, we chew up every bit of our darkness and feed it into the wailing, open, turned-up mouths of our children and they swallow it into stomachs where it nourishes the darkness inside of them. When they grow up, their sin and desolation will be even deeper than ours.
Unless the light intervenes…
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
Jesus weeps for us, but as He weeps and as His tears move us to tears, there is a seed of hope:
Isaiah 49:14-16 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”
He has NOT forgotten us. He has NOT forgotten our children—even when it seems like it.
This week, one of the local teenage girls shared her story with me. She was the oldest in her family and so when her mother was sent to jail on drug charges, her father moved into her bed and began to rape her on a nightly basis. Her father. Not her stepfather or boyfriend or neighbor or stranger. Her father. The man that should be teaching her Who God Is, instead, chose to defile her, devastate her, and destroy her.
Thank God that the light intervened! A teacher at her school caught on that something was amiss and sent the authorities. They immediately removed her and her siblings from that home, jailed her father, and put her in a Christian home where she is being taught Who God Is—that He is her Father. That there is One Who loves her and doesn’t want anything from her in return.
Loved ones, I challenge you– ask God to show you the dark places in your heart that the enemy would beg you to feed your children. And in your slice of the world, be the light that intervenes! Let God teach you how He loves you… How to love Him back… How to love yourself… And how to pour that love into others—even when it means “interfering.” My prayer is that I would do the same– to be a light and an interferer.
About Sarah Salter
How horribly, terribly sad for that girl. I just can’t wrap my mind on a man doing that to his precious daughter.
I heard about that video game. So very sad. I’m grateful that the light intervened in that girl’s situation, even though I’m heartbroken that she would find herself there in the first place.
Such a dark place, the world of ours. You’re right. We need to shine our light. Or in times when we can’t seem to muster it, at least be a reflection of His. Thanks, Sarah.
I heard about this too. I’ve never been one to comment much on blogs, I read a ton, but never say much. I’m a fairly quiet person as it is. Most of you who comment here know me or have conversed with me in some form or the other. Most of you know I’m disabled and while I’m not here to focus on myself. I can agree with the coments before mine. It seems like in some ways this is a dark world of ours as Katdish said. I notice the disabled aren’t as widely accepted as maybe we used to be. I’ve had to argue over a handicapped parking space more times in the past two years than I have the past ten.
I admit I don’t go to church as I should and I’m surely not as well versed in the Bible as some, but at the end of the day we are all held accountable I think. We weren’t put on this earth to harm each other. We are God’s children and we were put here to serve and spread the word. I know some of you that read Sarah’s blog are scholarly in nature and I apologize for my comment not sounding as such. However, it really chaps my hide so to speak to hear of people harming people and certanily something like this. Helen, you said it best. I just can’t wrap my hand around it. What I do strive to do on a daily basis is treat my fellow humans with equality dignity and respect, just like God intends for us to!
I work in a job where every day I go to work and get to meet people on the worst day of their lives.
I wish I could be shocked at this story, but I am not.
I really wish I could, because we all should be. But sadly it seems so commonplace.
But each light we shine, is a pinprick in the curtain of darkness that covers our world.
I did not know that game existed. Do you know if it is still on the market and if so, how does one go about fighting it and seeing to it that it’s taken off? Heartbreaking stories would be an understatement, huh?
David: I am sorry to hear that you have to argue for your parking spot. I think the opposite should be true. People should argue to who is going to give you the best spot. I have heard horror stories from friends who have had their wheelchairs stolen while they were using the restrooms at sporting events. I just wanted to encourage you that you don’t have to sound “intellectual”. I like that you sound “real” and that you write from your heart.
This post makes me really sad. My biological father raped me repeatedly when I was a child. It’s not something you ever get over. I can’t believe there’s really a game like that. It’s horrible.
I know I shouldn’t be, but I am shocked. Reading the description of this game made me sick to my stomach. That anyone would encourage such behavior as acceptable entertainment is begging for disaster.
Reminded me of Ephesians 5:11, 12 -“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.”
Expose the darkness and embrace the light. You are correct, a generation is at stake…
As a victim of molestation, the description of this game breaks my heart, and my heart went out to the young lady you talked about. I know this world will never be perfect, but how I long for the love of Christ to be shared with all those who receive. I pray to be a light in a dark world. Thanks for sharing this.
I’ve read about the game and it’s horrible. The thought of it makes me want to vomit every time.
Denise – yes, it is still on the market and is available for download online. I’d send a link, but I’d have to search for it and frankly, I don’t have it in me right now. The whole story is on CNN.com
I am so thankful for the teacher who intervened. It takes great courage to do the right thing. I pray for this young woman, her siblings, and her future.
Kathy – my heart is heavy for you and I don’t know what the right words are to say. You are in my prayers
Can’t write. Angry.
Wendy, that’s why it took me over a week to write about it… Because I was just too angry. But at the same time, I knew that I had to write about it eventually because there are some people that just don’t know that this type of thing is going on.
Thank you all for your sentiments. I’m glad to see that there are so many people in my world that are willing to be the lights in the darkness!