Stirring stories rouse compassion. But firm commitments lead to change. Is God calling you to put hands to your compassion by committing to action?
My heart is stirred every time someone opens up and shares about their sexual abuse—without exception. Whether abused as a boy by bullies, or coerced as a girl by cousins, it grabs my heart each time I hear the words, “Um, I’ve never told this to anyone before, but when I was little . . . .”
By God’s providence and grace, I’ve listened to hundreds of such stories for twenty years. The first accounts came my way while hip deep in doctoral studies—a season of high commitment and a new sense of calling. As a husband, dad, pastor, and colleague, so much else has happened in those twenty years. I’ve experienced high joys, deep sorrow and overwhelming stressors of all sorts. But an abiding commitment to the sexually broken has remained. Commitment has provided the hands for God’s work among the broken.
Now in my 60’s, I’m beginning to do less counseling and more writing. My commitment to you is to post at least one well-written and informative article each week. Regardless of what takes place at home or in my weird and wonderful church, my aim is to write consistently.
The purpose? To rouse this sleeping giant called the Church to rescue the sexually addicted, abused and confused caught up in the wreckage of the sexual tsunami that has swamped our culture.
And so I commit to providing stirring stories that inspire and a perspective that will be informative. But the pressing need is to find the hands of commitment among you, the readers.
Without simple commitments, we get stuck in the bog of compassion fatigue.
Life has been a bit overwhelming, hasn’t it? There have been wildfires out west, and upheaval in Washington. Everywhere in between we’ve seen rioting, politicking, protests, shortages, and this COVID thing. Ugh. The Internet and cable news have kept it right in our faces constantly.
For many of us, compassion is close to flatlining. Pathos has atrophied. We are a bit dazed.
Did you know that Mozambique has been hit by four cyclones in the last two years? Two of them occurred in just the last three months, destroying crops and leaving thousands of families homeless.
And Zimbabwe, still reeling from Cyclone Idai of 2019, now has COVID complicating relief efforts.
In Congo, there’s an Eboli epidemic.
All of this is tragic. But besides our friend Google, who knew?
Most of us are a bit oblivious to it all. Apathy keeps us from donating much time, money or prayer. And yet for years, some of you have had an ongoing commitment to World Vision, Compassion International, or UMCOR—a commitment that has made a difference in the lives of the hungry, homeless and orphaned in each of those countries. This ongoing simple commitment is compassion with hands.
I’m guessing you are reading this blog because in some way you are connected to me. You may have received counseling from me or training at one of my seminars. Perhaps you’ve read my book Into the Light: Healing Sexuality in Today’s Church. Or it could be you have been drawn to this blog simply because of your own brokenness.
Can I ask you to put hands to your compassion? Can you today make a commitment on behalf of the sexually broken? How?
· Keep reading this blog week by week.
· Share the articles with everyone who you think might possibly have interest: pastors, caregivers, or those with deep brokenness of their own.
· Promote it on social media. (Something I don’t know how to do!)
· Support ministries financially, like Transforming Congregations.
· Give away books: mine or some of the many others on this topic.
· Begin discussions at your church around these books and topics.
And then there is this: Eventually, this blog will be available in two formats: Free Signups and Paid Subscriptions. Once the paid subscriptions are available, I will engage with the more controversial subjects and make room for comments and interaction. There will also be online training in ministry to the sexually broken. When that happens, strengthen the grip of your commitment by subscribing and joining in the ongoing conversation.
God is most definitely at work in the midst of the sexual tsunami wreckage. Workers are being rallied . . .
*Last year a man in the Columbus area ordered 20 copies of my book, simply to give away.
*Another person near Toledo found deep healing through the pages of my book. She ordered copies and a DVD to start a discussion group.
*A few years ago, a pastor bought books and a DVD to take his church leadership through Into the Light. Last year he was moved to a different church, so he took their leadership through the book as well!
*And just last week, I received a call from a ministry leader who bought my book two years ago. She took it with her on vacation to read and was blown away. Halfway through the book she called me, asking me to send a dozen copies and a DVD to start a group at her church.
But she called again the next day with a story. The Uber driver giving her a ride home from the airport had been horribly abused throughout her early childhood and had eased her pain with sexual addiction. So before exiting the car, this leader gave her my book!
The stories in Into the Light stirred her heart. But she put hands to her compassion by committing to action.
What about you? What might God be asking you to do for the sexually addicted, abused and confused? Or how might you poke the sleeping giant in the ribs?
Let me know by emailing me at ongley01@icloud.com. We can begin a conversation about how to surf this devastating tsunami, rescuing those who’ve lost their way.
Let’s join hands to make a difference for the sexually broken.