After all the blogging about the depraved sexual proclivities of men over all these many months, it would be a sad thing for me not to say something about this incredible video that many of you saw yesterday. It’s of Rachael Denhollander in the courtroom, addressing Larry Nassar at his sentencing hearing. She speaks for about 40 minutes and I commend the whole thing to you, not just the end where she gets to the matter of forgiveness.
In her face I am compelled to see a modern, a beautiful Tamar, tearing her elegant long sleeves, pouring dust on her head, wailing and crying, relentlessly, for justice.
And what a fresh and glorious zephyr, to walk away for a while from the faces of Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer. To see the gracious purpose of just righteousness, of mercy for the one who has no power and no voice, to see the other side of the matter. What a curious relief to see a face, the face of a real person. Not a list of crimes, a list of names, a list of moneys and privileges lost.
And even more is it a balm to hear the gospel articulated so clearly, so carefully, so completely. To see someone stand up and face the darkness, and cast light, and hear of mercy and forgiveness. It’s the best, you should watch it.
And truly, take courage. It’s so easy to give in to discouragement, to grow weary of doing good, to hop online and conclude that the world is already burning and there’s nothing to do but flap and wail. That’s what I feel like doing every single morning. I wake up confused and disoriented, thinking that if I’m not happy and comfortable God must hate me.
Which is just not true. The powerful force of God’s mercy is, to understate eternity, vastly stronger and richer and deeper and broader than the small, hideous grasping of human depravity. God’s goodness is not undone by human sin and selfishness. His redemption is not overcome by our weak darkness.
On that note, I’m going to get up and do the thing in front of me. And pray for Larry Nasser, which is a thing I never thought I’d find myself doing.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In