Be Still And Know

1 Timothy 5:1-2 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. In recent years, endless investigations have revealed that abuse exists throughout our society. Upon the publication of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report in 2021, the BBC’s Mark Easton wrote, “There is barely a corner of this country’s institutional, cultural or spiritual life untarnished by the activities of abusers.” Easton noted that wherever the inquiry looked, it found abuse. Tragically, the churches came in for severe criticism, and every Christian denomination has had to take a hard look at itself. Treating people lovingly, graciously and wisely is a responsibility that we all have, but Paul was particularly concerned for his friend Timothy to get this right. Church leaders find themselves in a vu