The news of more child sexual abuse scandals from Catholic priests and the Pope’s alleged involvement in cover-ups, the abuse of Phoebe Prince – a bullied teenage girl who committed suicide, and a new video game that simulates rape are all too much to bear.  I am very sad this morning as I write to you.  There is way too much news of abuse this week.  There is way too much abuse – it’s just that this week we are hearing about a lot of it.

When will sexual abuse end?  Why must innocent children (or adults) be subjected to such heinous self-indulgence and violence?  Why must the beautiful act of procreation and love get subverted into acts of perversion, hate and destruction?  I just do not understand.  Why must others bully people over differences or disagreements?

As someone who has been a victim and survivor of abuse, I know firsthand how terrible any kind of abuse can be.  Sexual abuse in particular is so damaging to body; so destructive to one’s psyche and peace of mind and spirit, it can take years to gain even the slightest amount of relief from the scars.

I also know the horrors of bullying.  Being a very fat child all my young life, I was a constant target of abuse from bullies in school and on the playground.  My childhood was one injustice and abuse after another.

So when I hear stories about children being sexually abused from people they trust; news reports of a teenager taking their life to get freed from bullying; and a Japanese video game that attempts to make rape “fun,” I’m disgusted and appalled, but mostly I feel great sadness and empathy for those who are enduring such pain and agony.  I also feel great sadness and empathy for the perpetrators – they must have also been severely damaged, or surely they would not do such things to others.  Yet, they must be stopped and receive adequate consequences and punishment.  We must stop abuse of all kinds.

Having personally suffered from severe weight problems and now enjoying God’s gift of recovery, and working with overweight clients for a long time – I am aware of the link between abuse and obesity.  Far, far too many people are carrying the weight of abuse, trauma and even incest.

If this rings a bell of familiarity or pain for you, all I can say is to not give up and to keep the faith.  Recovery is possible through determined efforts to face the problem, talk about it with a trusted professional or someone experienced in this area, and most of all, to ask God for help.  Please know that you are not alone in your pain and suffering.  Sadly, there are many of us who have been abused.  On the bright side, there are also many of us who have persevered through the trauma, and live a life of restoration and renewal, who now can begin to not only heal, but to help others heal the scars, too.