Isaiah 1:17

NASB	NLT	VOICE
17 Learn to do good; seek justice; rebuke the oppressor, obtain justice for the orphan, plead for the widow’s case.	17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.	17 Learn to do good; commit yourselves to seeking justice. Make right for the world’s most vulnerable – the oppressed, the orphaned, the widow.

In the context of Isaiah, the Israelites were often called out for their failure to uphold God’s standards. Isaiah is calling for a transformation – a chance to grow into a lifestyle that incorporates God’s standards. The call to “seek justice” implies an active pursuit, not just passive acceptance. It’s confronting those that abuse their power. The historical context of Isaiah highlights the social injustices in Judah, where leaders often exploited the vulnerable. The fatherless were one of the most vulnerable in ancient society, lacking protection and provision. Caring for them reflects God’s heart for justice and care for the marginalized, urging Christians to embody these values. The widows fell into the same category as the fatherless. Pleading a case for their involves advocacy and ensuring they receive fair treatment, reflecting God’s hope for a justice society.

This is what this whole series has been about: pleading a case for the marginalized communities and learning ways to be the hands and feet of this world. We’ve discussed those that are struggling with the current government shutdown (focusing on the healthcare situation relating to the budget), racial reconciliation, and children that are in foster care. The more we learn about the current situations that are happening in the marginalized communities, the more we can begin to understand their reality and the more we can work to be God’s hands and feet for them. We start to advocate on their behalf, correcting those that are oppressing them or creating a stigma against them. We learn that the work will never end. Even if we successfully care for one community, another will suffer. We are actively at work being God’s hand and feet for all people. 

Today, I want to talk about victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship where one person attempts to gain and/or hold power and control over another person. Domestic violence has many forms including, but not limited to, physical, sexual, emotional/psychological, economic/financial, technological, and spiritual/cultural abuse. The underlying core of domestic violence is power and control. THe abuse wants to dominate the victim through whatever means necessary. The abusive behavior often escalates over time and creates significant trauma and damage to the victim’s mental, emotional, and physical health. We must realize that this is not limited to heterosexual relationships or specific genders or ethnicities. It happens to all people. 

What does the situation look like in the United States (using the U.S. because of my location)? It’s important to understand the current situation as it stands today. 

• The rate of domestic violence reported in the US during the first half of 2025 was 3% higher than the same period in 2024.
• Approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point. 
• On average, every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten. 
• Domestic violence accounts for about 15% of all violent crimes. 
• Domestic violence hotlines in the US receive about 20,800 calls each day. 
• Around 15.5 million children witness domestic violence each year. 
• The annual cost of domestic violence exceeds $8.3 million due to lost workdays, medical expenses, and legal costs. 
• Women aged 18-34 are the most common victims of domestic violence, with a high number of men so affected.
  • Only about half of intimate partner physical violence incidents are reported to law enforcement. 
• Around 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, varying state by state. 
• Globally, nearly 30% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by intimate or non-partnership sexual violence. 

What do we take away from all this? Domestic violence is a rising crime affecting mainly women, but all people. It’s happening more frequently each and every day. Children are witnessing their parents abuse each other or watching one abuse the other very frequently. The damage of domestic violence affects all parts of life. Those are able to escape domestic violence situations (which in reality, we must acknowledge that some do not or cannot in their current situation) walk around with differing struggles and trauma that we may not recognize on face value. What do they struggle with in our current society?

Many victims of domestic violence are afraid to contact authorities due to fear of retaliation, disbelief, or lack of protection (even fears of deportation and losing child custody for immigrant survivors.) In 2025, advocates report that 76% of immigrant survivors feared contacting police and over half dropped their legal cases out of fear of exposure to ICE. Leaving an abusive environment can mean losing income, housing, or child support. Many victims are trapped in their situation due to financial concerns. Limited availability of shelter spaces and government funding shortages have forced some survivors and their family to be turned away when they need help. Emotional trauma affects nearly all victims of prolonged abuse. Survivors tend to internalize blame and experience isolation, manipulation, and gaslighting. There’s also a community stigma or disbelief that victims can face. Some victims struggle against narrow public perceptions of abuse  – believing that domestic violence must involve severe or visible harm to be taken legitimately, which can lead to discouraging victims from seeking help early on. MIniority groups experience domestic violence at disproportionately high rates and face additional social barriers to seeking care or justice. Chronic stress and trauma from domestic violence harms both victims and their children. Kids that witness abuse destabilizes their development, increasing their chance of anxiety, depression, and/or future relationship difficulties. Survivors will often need trauma-informed counseling which is often underfunded in many regions. 

There are many mental health struggles that domestic violence victims and their kids will face, and the struggles to come out and report their abuse happens less and less due to our perception of what abuse is and the fear of losing economic stability, fearing retaliation, disbelief, and/or the lack of protection. What a shame that our society has created a stigma that keeps others from disclosing when they are being abused. Remember, abuse can come in many forms but because it’s often not in a tangible way for us to perceive. What can we do then? As Christians, and as people, what can we do to help survivors of domestic violence?

We can create safe and supportive spaces. Our church must become a safe place for victims to disclose their abuse without judgment or fear. Qualified leaders within the church (which is important to be trained in this area) can connect victims with local shelters and resources to help make sure they are safe. We can provide tangible aid and shelter support. Victims often need emergency help – housing, meals, transportation and protection. Churches can be or support these programs either financially or through volunteer service to help meet victims’ needs. We can educate our communities to recognize abuse. Ignorance and denial often hide domestic violence in faith communities. Education helps Christians distinguish between biblical submission and coercive control, correcting theological misuse that often enables abuse. We can partner with faith-based advocacy organizations. Partnering with these networks allows congregations to connect victims to professional services while integrating compassionate, Scripture-informed support. We can promote healing through ongoing discipleship and prayer. Beyond crisis care, survivors need long-term spiritual and emotional healing. Churches can establish survivor support groups or prayer circles focused on recovery and empowerment. 

I want to highlight FaithTrust Institute as an organization that helps with victims of domestic violence. FaithTrust Institute is a multifaith and multicultural training organization that collaborates with progressive Christians, Jewish, and Muslim, and other faith communities to address sexual violence through education, advocacy, and systemtic change. It offers professional training programs on topics like domestic violence prevention, abuse of power in ministry, healthy relationships, and safe congregations. To learn more about this agency and how you can be involved, check out this website: 

Next part: Embracing Our Neighbors || Serving Up Justice || Part 5

Important Links

• https://vawnet.org/sc/creating-safe-space-faith-communities-address-domestic-violence
• https://www.thehotline.org/
• https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
• https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse
• https://www.peoples-law.org/what-domestic-violence
• https://www.government.nl/topics/domestic-violence/what-is-domestic-violence
• https://dvcc.delaware.gov/background-purpose/dynamics-domestic-abuse/
• https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/
• https://opdv.ny.gov/about-domestic-violence
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/domestic-violence/art-20048397
• https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-mid-year-2025-update/
• https://safehomesdv.org/about/domestic-violence-statistics/
• https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/
• https://nnedv.org/content/domestic-violence-counts-20th-annual-report/
• https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/domestic-violence-by-state
• https://www.louisgoodman.com/blog/domestic-violence-statistics-by-state/
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
• https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/teen-dating-violence-prevention-resources-2025-update
• https://www.immigrantsurvivors.org/2025-insights-from-advocates-for-immigrant-survivors
• https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/07/how-to-navigate-the-complex-challenges-and-potential-impact-of-reporting-about-domestic-violence/
• https://columbuscounselinggroup.com/https-columbuscounselinggroup-com-breaking-the-silence-in-2025-october-is-domestic-violence-awareness-month/
• https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/proclamations/2025/10/01/october-2025-domestic-violence-awareness-month
• https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10/understanding-the-realities-of-domestic-violence
• https://nnedv.org/latest_update/domestic-violence-awareness-month-begins-with-urgent-warning/
• https://www.dvawareness.org/WithSurvivors
• https://www.lettac.org/DVAM2022
• https://co4kids.org/news-press/domestic-violence-month-2025/
• https://deconstructingstigma.org/guides/domestic-violence
• https://vawnet.org/sc/creating-safe-space-faith-communities-address-domestic-violence
• https://www.focusministries1.org/
• https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/domestic-violence/
• https://calledtopeace.org/
• https://shelteringwings.org/about-us/
• https://www.thehotline.org/
• https://www.firststep-mi.org/programs-and-services/
• https://www.domesticshelters.org/help/mi/flint
• https://www.ywcaflint.org/
• https://safehavenministries.org/