Slavic Christian Secret Trauma Exposed
Dear Slavic Christians, a deep emotional and spiritual problem is plaguing my community. I want to share the pain with you because as long as it keeps taking place, I can’t speak about the following enough.
As long as we tell the hurting,
“Just forgive and forget;
“Carry your cross and be quiet
“Stop being too sensitive
“The trauma didn’t happen
“Stop making things up
“He would NEVER do something like that
“She’s not capable of doing….you’re making it up…
“You made him do it when you didn’t…
“If you were a more humble and obedient wife…
“You’re a weak man for crying…
The problems taking place in our community will continue, and NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
Message after message is being instilled into our men, women, and children that minimize and invalidate abuse. I have widened my audience to include speaking on behalf of men and children recently since more Slavic Christian of both populations are coming forward as survivors after experiencing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
Dear Slavic Christian community, we have got to start listening to stories and creating atmospheres for survivors to share their experiences instead of turning a blind eye. If we want a revival, unity and life in our churches, THIS is where we must start.
Let’s go deeper. Trauma takes place because we silence and shame victims that have experienced violation on a physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual level and it was either invalidated, shut down, judged, silenced, denied, or was made to be kept a secret. The heartwrenching messages you read above barely scratch the surface of what members in my community have the courage to speak up about. What about those that don’t or never will? What about the ones that have died in their secret pain due to suicide or homicide? What about the ones that have died emotionally or spiritually because they gave up hope, and being numb is safer than trying to be heard and validated?
This is the reality of the way that pain and trauma is handled in my community. This is what thousands of men, women, and children experience daily. This is what the future holds if nothing changes.
Dear one, are you one of these silenced victims? Is someone you love one of these silent, emotionally numb survivors that lost hope that healing is possible?
The good news is, hope, healing, and freedom is possible for you and your loved ones. Here’s how: you must reach out for support and tell someone you trust about what happened to break the bonds of secrecy, silence, shame, and judgment. You must recognize that as long as you stay quiet, the pain will not only fester in your heart, it may continue to spread to other victims to whom the perpetrator still has access to.
Dear ones, your wounds are real. Your pain and experiences are real; I want to help free you from them. Will you trust me enough to let me help you find this restoration?