In 2006 begin Tarana Burke die ME TOO beweging om diegene wat deur seksuele geweld geraak is, ‘n stem te gee. Die idee van ‘empowerment through empathy’ wou uitendelik vir diesulkes verseker dat hulle nie alleen op hierdie pad was nie.
Verlede jaar is die navolgers van hierdie beweging, die sogenaamde ‘Silence Breakers’ benoem as TIME tydskrif se Person of the Year en hierdie is ‘n uittreksel uit haar persvrystelling:
“For too long, survivors of sexual assault and harassment have been in the shadows. We have been afraid to speak up, to say ‘Me Too’ and seek accountability. For many, the consequences of doing so have been devastating,” said Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement.
Today’s announcement should be an opportunity to ask ourselves: are we really committed to the hard work of ending sexual violence?
What about young people having to break bread with their abuser at a family gathering year after year, in silence and solitude?
What about women of color who struggle to be believed by friends, families,
and those in power?
“What about those regularly assaulted by officers of the law, on our streets and in our jails--- do they get to say #MeToo as well? Will we listen when they do?
We need a complete cultural transformation if we are to eradicate sexual assault in our lifetimes. It means we must build our families differently, engage our communities and confront some of our long-held assumptions about ourselves. Today’s announcement is an opportunity for all of us to take a hard look in the mirror and answer the question:
Let’s get to work.”
“Wat ‘n kragdadige uitspraak!”, dink ek by myself. As ‘n mens kyk na die name van welbekendes wat gelys word onder diegene wat reeds hulle stemme onder die #metoo banier laat hoor het, dan ruk dit ‘n mens aan die hart.
Ek salueer hulle pogings om ‘n einde te bring aan hierdie euwel in ons samelewing.
Tog is dit nie my fokus vandag nie.
Môre is Sondag. Opstanding Sondag om presies te wees. En daarmee saam kom ‘n diep bewustheid van alles wat ek nie verdien nie, maar wat Hy gekies het om my te gee. Ten spyte van alles waaragter ek ook my naam kan las.
Daar was al tye dat ek ook te bang was om te praat oor die donker dinge van my verlede, maar die vrou wat in owerspel betrap is het Hy vergewe… #metoo
Die man langs Hom aan die kruis is deur die wêreld skuldig bevind, maar Hy het hom saamgenooi huis toe… #metoo
Tomas wou sien voor hy homself sou toelaat om bietjie hoop te hê. Sommige sou Hom kon aankla dat Hy Tomas se ongeloof vertroetel, maar Hy ontmoet vir Tomas daar waar hy is… #metoo
Dis nie die eerste keer dat ek dit hier noem nie, so verskoon maar as dit klink of ek vashaak, maar nes ek met my reis deur die Ou Testament lees van die regverdige kant van God, die kant wat straf wanneer die mens keer-op-keer faal in sy eie soeke na heiligheid, sien ek ook elke kort-kort ‘n glimmer van die genade kant van God.
In Numeri 35 lees ons hiervan en dan later weer in Deuternomium 19: SAFE TOWNS. Die Here God het bepaal dat die Israeliete hulle streke in drie dele moes verdeel, met ‘n safe town min of meer in die middel van elke streek, sodat dit maklik van enige plek af bereik kon word.
Wat sou die doel van so ‘n safe town wees, dink jy seker? Hier is nou vir my die wonderlike pappa-hart van God:
“For example, suppose you and a friend go into the forest to cut wood.
You are chopping down a tree with an ax, when the ax head slips off the handle,
hits your friend, and kills him. You can run to one of the Safe Towns and save your life.
You don't deserve to die, since you did not mean to harm your friend.
But he did get killed, and his relatives might be very angry.
They might even choose one of the men from their family to track you down and kill you.
If it is too far to one of the Safe Towns, the victim's relative might be able to catch you and kill you. That's why I said there must be three Safe Towns.”
Deut 19:5 CEV
Dan gaan Hy selfs verder in vers 8:
“Israel, the Lord your God has promised that if you obey His laws and teachings I'm giving you, and if you always love Him, then He will give you the land He promised your ancestors. When that happens, you must name three more Safe Towns in the new territory.
You will need them, so innocent people won't be killed on your land while they are trying to reach a Safe Town that is too far away.
You will be guilty of murder,
if innocent people lose their lives because you didn't name
enough Safe Towns in the land the Lord your God will give you.”
God is ‘n regverdige God, maar God is nie ‘n venynige God nie. Ek het nog altyd gedink dat God die motiewe van ‘n mens se hart raaksien en dan wil ek sommer die siniese kritici wat alewig beweer: ‘Die pad hel toe is geteer met goeie intensies’ oor die kop slaan met iets.
Want al faal ek Hom daagliks is die boodskap van Opstanding Sondag #IDIDITFORYOUTOO
They hung Him on a cross They hung Him on a cross They hung Him on a cross… for me One day when I was lost They hung Him on a cross They hung Him on a cross… for me
They whipped Him up the hill They whipped Him up the hill They whipped Him up the hill… for me One day when I was lost They hung Him on a cross They whipped Him up the hill… for me
They hurt Him in the side They hurt Him in the side They hurt Him in the side… for me One day when I was lost They hung Him on a cross They hung Him on a cross… for me
He hung his head and died He hung his head and died He hung his head and died… for me One day when I was lost They hung Him on a cross They hung Him on a cross… for me
Dank Vader daardie Sondag was nie die einde van Sy storie nie.
He’s coming back again
He’s coming back again
He’s coming back again… for me
One day when I was lost
They hung Him on a cross
He’s coming back again… for me
Jou temalied vir die week: They hung Him on a cross
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