God, Were You There When #MeToo?

God, were you there when she said no? Were you there when she looked away, pulled away, and then quickly tried to push away from her mind what just happened? 

God, were you there when he insisted it was okay? Were you there when he did it, anyway?

God, were you there when it happened in the church? Were you there when the sacred space became unsafe? 

God, were you there when she cried because what he did hurt so bad? Were you there in those moments of shame, humiliation, self-blame and fear? 

God, were you there in the silence when she didn’t believe she could tell? Were you there in her worries about the next time and what she could do to avoid another violation of her sacred self? 

God, were you there to see and hear all of the cries of #MeToo? Do you weep with us who weep and mourn with us who mourn all the little deaths as our humanity continues to be harassed and assaulted? 

God, were you there when she typed the hashtag and the letters “m-e-t-o-o”? Were you there when another sister could not (for her own valid reasons)? Were you there in the testimony? Were you there in the truth?

God of Hagar and Tamar, we confess the Church’s role in systems that contribute to a culture of violence against women. We confess that too often religious leaders have abused their power and harmed women in the Church. We confess that the Church is in need of repair, reformation, and redemption. 

God of Resurrection, we trust in the power of your love. We ask that you would pour out your divine love into all who suffer from sexual harassment and assault. 

God, stir within those who have inflicted harm a deep sense of remorse and willingness to make amends. God, help us.

God, help make #MeToo to be a Pentecost moment for the Church. Help us to hear your truth in the many voices rising up. Let this truth reform us, remake us, and redeem us. 

God, if you were there…then you were inside each one of us as our heartbeats quickened from unholy terror and we breathed our way through each horrifying moment by moment. And you are with us now. You are in this movement. Breathe into us your Spirit of Love. Breathe into us healing fire. Amen. #MeToo

(Inspired by the many stories being publicly shared)