The Traveling Pelican

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121 This is an excerpt from my paper on Genesis 34 and 2 Samuel 11. The paper focuses on the stories of Dinah and Bathsheba and is my attempt to offer a sensitive exegesis of these passages for abuse survivors. This excerpt is the last section of my paper which focuses on God's character and the gospel of Jesus Christ in relation to the issue of abuse, both in the Bible and today.  God’s revelation throughout history discloses many aspects of God’s character. Especially comforting for abuse survivors is God's particular love for the afflicted and oppressed. Especially in the psalms, the psalmists describe God as a Helper and Comforter to the oppressed and downcast. The psalmist’s comfort in times of affliction springs from his knowledge of the character of God. "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who ...

If you've grown up going to church like I have, then you may have heard the story of Esther and Mordecai. It was easy for me as a girl to think of Esther as this great and courageous heroine, saving her people from genocide. And Esther was brave, but her courage did not come right away. A close reading of the text reveals Esther was at first afraid.  Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” (Esth 4:10-11)   Her initial response to Mordecai's instruction to go to the king and beg for mercy was, "but if I do that I will die." Undoubtedly most of us, if put in her position, would say the same thing. My own life is often w...