STAINED GLASS PAIN
The Silence of the Church: How Spiritual Abuse Wounds Those Who Seek Refuge Within Its Walls
I dedicate this page to all those who have endured untold suffering as a result of devastating events, including spiritual abuse—experiences that should awaken us to the reality that something has gone terribly wrong in our world, something so insidious that we often fail to recognize it.
At one of my domestic violence conferences, I was given this poster, which represents spiritual abuse in the church—something I personally experienced in the churches I attended.
The poster depicts people from all backgrounds holding on to one another, with one person reaching upward and crying out:
“Where were You, God?
Where were you, Pastor?
Why didn’t you listen to my cries?
Aren’t I important?
Haven’t I suffered enough?”
Their voices are loud, desperate, and filled with pain:
“I wept. I cried. I died inside, and you were cruel with words that shredded my spirit.”
The stained-glass windows of the church are dirty because they have not been cleaned. They stand as a symbol of what happens when the church fails to see, hear, and respond to the suffering happening within its walls.
We are Christians being torn apart, yet the church remains SILENT!
And sometimes, the deepest wounds are not inflicted by strangers. They are inflicted by the very people and institutions we trusted to protect us, guide us, and help us find healing.
When the church is silent in the face of suffering, that silence becomes part of the wound.
