By Christina Miller
"Now,
you shepherds, listen to what I, the LORD, am telling you." Ezekiel
34:7 delivers a hard message to the leaders of Israel. In the midst of
their neglect and abuse, God spoke. Loudly. "As surely as I am the
living God, you had better listen to me." The very people who were
supposed to protect God's beloved nation were inflicting pain. They
didn't care for the weak, heal the sick or bandage those who were hurt.
They didn't go after those who wandered off. They were too busy taking
care of themselves and meeting their own needs. They treated God's
people cruelly. And God was angry.
In no uncertain terms God declares, "I am your enemy" (Ezekiel 34:7, 8a, 10b, GNTD).
Spiritual
abuse can be defined as "The use of faith, belief, and/or religious
practices to coerce, control or damage another for a purpose beyond the
victim's well-being." Yet even with a definition it is difficult to talk
about. It can be hard to name and confusing to identify. How can the
very people meant to facilitate God's grace inflict pain? How can a
church, a place of safety, become unsafe? And perhaps the most difficult
question: How can God let this happen?
An Ongoing Problem
Sadly,
these aren't new questions. Israel's history is filled with leaders who
constantly let down God's people. Even leaders who knew and followed
God at times led the people astray. Patriarchs and judges, kings and
priests and prophets often failed, and some actively abused their
authority and their people.
We
have some striking examples in the Bible in addition to the leaders God
denounces in Ezekiel. King David was a man after God's own heart, but
he also abused his authority when he committed adultery and subsequent
murder (1 Samuel 13:14; 2 Samuel 11:15). The Pharisees devoted their
lives to studying and interpreting the Law of Moses, but Jesus called
them hypocrites and snakes who kept the people burdened and locked away
from God (Matthew 23:4, 13, 33).
And
we have striking examples in our own time. The pressures of leadership
are heavy. We see accounts of spiritual abuse in the media, and many of
us have experienced it in our own churches.
Spiritual
abuse mars our image of God and drives us away from our faith
communities. It is the result of leaders who misuse their power and
manipulate God's truth, whether intentionally or unknowingly. It is
fueled by ego, selfish vision and narcissism—and often by fear.
But
spiritual abuse goes far beyond these leaders. It breaks our spirits
and confuses our thinking. It causes long-lasting effects of guilt,
shame and fear. It leads to severed relationships, anxiety, depression
and the need for control in other areas of our lives. It is not what God
intends. And it is something God takes seriously, calls to account and
judges severely.
The Good Shepherd
In
stark contrast to the corrupt rulers of Israel, God describes himself
as the Good Shepherd. "I myself will look for my sheep and take care of
them," he declares (Ezekiel 34:11, GNTD). Where people have failed, God
will be faithful.
God
then gives us a powerful image of what right leadership looks like. God
provides safety and places of rest. God doesn't drive people away, but
looks for those who are lost. God bandages those who are hurt and heals
the sick. God brings about justice—separating the sheep from the goats,
getting rid of all the dangerous animals in the land. God sets people
free and protects them.
Israel's
relationship with God isn't contingent on human leaders. In fact, it
was never about these human leaders in the first place. They were
supposed to lead the people to God, the Good Shepherd, not to be God.
These leaders misrepresented God's character, led the people astray and
neglected and exploited them. But Israel is still God's beloved nation:
"You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people and I am your God"
(Ezekiel 34:31, GNTD). And God will defend them, even against their own
rulers.
Working Through Spiritual Abuse
It
can be difficult to separate our image of God from our spiritual
leaders. Many people who experience spiritual abuse give up on their
faith all together. Church has become an unsafe place and God seems
untrustworthy. Why return to the source of a wound?
Just
as Scripture speaks against spiritual abuse, it also shows us a way
forward. Interestingly, it is through the abuse Jesus suffered at the
hands of his own spiritual leaders. As he placed himself under God's
just authority, his suffering led to a place of healing and
reconciliation—for all people:
"When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls" (1 Peter 2:23-25, GNTD).
Jesus
not only understands the pain of abuse, he entered into it and suffered
in order to fill even those dark places with life. He embodied the role
of the Good Shepherd through his life and ministry (John 10). Through
Jesus' wounds on the cross, our wounds are healed. We are set free. We
are brought near to God, the guardian of our souls. And we are brought
back into the fold, safely gathered into the community of faith.
If
you have encountered spiritual abuse in your life, be encouraged that
God has not forgotten you. God is not limited to one leader,
congregation or community. And God seeks out every lost sheep, including
you. God invites every person back into the fold. In time, may you
receive healing from the church—may the very place that inflicted your
wounds become a wellspring of life. And may that make your knowledge of
God's grace all the sweeter.
Hear
God's promise as a promise to you: "I myself will be the shepherd of my
sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign LORD,
have spoken" (Ezekiel 34:15 GNTD).
