The recent rescue of Jaycee Dugard after 18 years of captivity touched my heart and provoked my spiritual mind. Jaycee was kidnapped at age 11, kept in a tent in a backyard, raped and abused for 18 years, and even had two children by the male captor.
What is bizarre is that she bonded with her tormentors. She helped run a business and did not take advantage of the opportunities to escape. This is called Stockholm syndrome. It is a psychological shift that takes place when a captive is first threatened then shown acts of kindness by the captors. The result is that the victim identifies with and defends those who are actually abusing them.
While shocking and incredulous at first, it occurs to me that this is a constant condition in the Spiritual realm. We once served sin but now we have been redeemed. Our old master kept us in slavery, paying us slave wages. Now, under a new Master, we serve righteousness and receive life everlasting. For some odd reason, we still go and visit that old master and work in the field we prayed to be delivered from.
“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:1-23).”
Amazing Grace!!!
1 comments:
I have been following the Jaycee story. Really sad. They said when she saw her mom, the first thing she said was "Hi mom, I have babies." She also looks at the captor as somewhat of a husband. Sad.
Timely points. Thanks. I think another comparison is the fact that Jaycee cannot currently distinguish or understand that being away from her captor is freedom, a better state of being. It reminds me of scriptures where God is so upset about our backsliding that He says that He will make it so that we won't be able to see Him, understand Him and His message of salvation. We will be blinded and think it foolishness. Sad.
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