 Thursday, Sept 11, 2014
By now, most alert observers of American life are well aware of the sad saga of the Baltimore Ravens’ running back, Ray Rice. With a football he helped the Ravens to win a Super Bowl; but now with a punch to the face of his then-fianc�, Janay, he has sullied his reputation. He has also raised serious questions about the truthfulness of National Football League officials and local, Baltimore prosecutors. This tragedy has raised public awareness about domestic violence, which may be the one good thing to come out of this lamentable melodrama. So much has been said that there’s no need for me to add to the millions of words spoken and written in recent days. What I want to focus on is the statement of Rice’s now-wife, the woman he knocked out and drug out of a hotel elevator. In an Instagram yesterday, Janay Rice said she was devastated, not by what her wife-beating husband did to her, but by the pain caused by the focus of the media on this story. She said she was “hurt” and “embarrassed” that her husband — a certifiable criminal who should be prosecuted to the maximum extent — has lost his lucrative job as a football player.
Janay concluded, “Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is.” Sadly, this woman doesn’t really know what real love is. In my ministry of counseling and deliverance I’ve dealt with countless battered wives and girlfriends. Most of them talk like this, meekly assuming the role of enabler to their batterer. They live in an unreal world of lies, distortion, and revisionist personal history. Let me be plain. Outside of having a life-changing commitment to Christ, this isn’t likely to be the last time Janay will be beaten. She’s another Rhianna, coddling a criminal (Chris Brown) and making it possible for men like this to become anti-heroes to pseudo macho-men, abandoned by fathers and trying to prove their manhood. Ray Rice needs to man-up, not hide behind his wife’s skirt. He should admit what he did, donate some of his millions to programs that help battered woman, get some serious therapy, and undergo an exorcism. I’m ready, Ray. Are you man enough to get rid of your inner demons?
An encouraging word: HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV). Those are tough words for any husband to live up to. He gave himself. He died for the church. I wonder, how many husbands and fathers would literally be willing to die for their families? Many would. Many would not, and they prove it by spousal physical and emotional abuse, and the neglect of their children. No wonder the devil makes it so hard on so many families. We need many things in our immoral, love-starved world. But one of the things we need most are husbands who truly love their wives.
Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did� (Luke 4:18). You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online. |
