By Mosese Raqio in Suva
Two out of three women in every church in Fiji experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime — and there are “uncomfortable truths” that need to be heard and talked about, says a Pacific church leader.
This was highlighted by Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) general secretary Reverend James Bhagwan while delivering his sermon during the “Break the Silence” Sunday at Suva’s Butt Street Wesley Church.
Reverend Bhagwan said in this sacred and safe space, “we have to hear about the brokenness of our world and our people which includes both the victims and the perpetrators”.
He said that if parishioners had a hard time talking about sexual violence perpetrated against mere human beings, then understandably it might be hard thinking about the sexualised connotations of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Reverend Bhagwan said if people could break the silence about what was happening in their communities, and if they could break the silence about what had happened to Jesus, then they could start to talk about these issues in their faith communitie
Reverend Bhagwan said he hoped that people not only talked about Jesus Christ in their prayer breakfast but also “talk about these issues”.
He talked about how men and women were crucified back in Jesus Christ’s time.
Humiliation of execution
He added that they were made to carry their cross to their place of execution as a further humiliation, and then they were hung naked on the cross in public.
Reverend Bhagwan said that enforced public nakedness was a sexual assault and it still was today.
He said the humiliation of Jesus Christ was on clear display and he was able to walk without shame among people, even though he knew they had seen his naked shame.
Reverend Bhagwan said it is in God’s promise that people were urged to break the silence, remove the gags of shame that were placed on victims of violence, and instead “echo their call for justice”.
He added that hope and healing could only be offered if people were willing to hear and bear the burden of wounds of trauma and abuse.
Today marks the beginning of what is known as 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign used by activists around the world as an organising strategy to call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence.
‘Break the Silence’
While Christian communities have supported the “16 Days of Activism” in various ways, it was not until 2013 that churches began to observe Break the Silence Sunday in Fiji and around the Pacific.
This was an initiative of the Christian Network Talanoa.
It is a Fiji-based ecumenical network of organised women and Christian women’s units seeking to remove the culture of silence and shame around violence against women, especially in faith-based settings.
In 2016, the Fiji Council of Churches committed to observing Break the Silence Sunday.
The Pacific Conference of Churches is rolling out this campaign to all its 35 member churches and 11 National Councils of churches.
Republished from Fiji Village with permission.
