Since last
year when we did the camp for teenagers about the exodus, the idea that God
wants to create a new society where there´s love, justice and peace, as a result
of his dwelling among the people, is something very strong in our mind. For
that people, who lived more than 3 thousand years ago, this hope was clear
because they could compare it with the kind of life they had; a life full of
slavery, oppression and injustice. As for us, the idea is a little more
difficult to imagine because our lives don´t look much like that.
But
there are many people to whom such hope may seem impossible, something too good
to be true. In one of the parents meetings at Casa Semear, the mothers (they
are the only ones who show up) had the opportunity to share their life story
and their reality right now. Among the great tragedies they have to face,
the heaviest of them all has to do with their partners. Husbands or boyfriends
who mistreat, threaten, take advantage of, abuse, neglect them and do everything else,
but to love them, is a common experience in their lives. To see your children
hiding under the bed while your partner beats you up is an image that gets very
close to that life of slavery, oppression and injustice. Many of them really feel
like slaves because they don´t see how they can escape from this situation.
While
Dot and me were talking about this, we couldn´t help but wonder how great God´s
grace and love are. How such a holy and marvelous God could think it was worth it
to safe a world in such a terrible condition? But it´s so good to know that He is doing it. We also talked about how
much we want to see these women, one day, living in a world fully redeemed by
God, being able to live a life of love, justice and peace. Tears and wounds of
a life of suffering will turn into a big smile, finally life as it should be!
This is the one great hope that we want to share with these moms.
Caio
