Season 4, Episode 8: Domestic Violence Statistics Don’t Lie: Meet the Man Trying to Change Them

If you Google the words “Domestic Violence Statistics”, you’ll find some very sobering information. Did you know that according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (and they give the examples of being beaten, burned, or strangled) by an intimate partner in their lifetime? I worked for a short time in a domestic violence court as a victim’s advocate, and I can tell you that the stat I just quoted is NOT an exaggeration.

We’re going to talk about a case that shows domestic violence in its most extreme form on this episode of The Unlovely Truth. If you think that no one in your church or your family or your group of friends is being abused, I hate to tell you that you’re wrong. And just leaving isn’t always an option. Our guest today knows that, and he’s doing something about it. You can too. I believe every Christian’s calling is to be a different kind of PI - a person of impact. Stick around because I’ll give you a practical step to do just that.

Our book this week is “Love Lies: a True Story of Marriage and Murder in the Suburbs”, and our guest is John Peace, Co-Owner of Safe Haven Services which provides private digital security box rentals that can help victims of domestic violence escape unsafe relationships.

Abusers who call themselves followers of Christ often use Ephesians 5:22-24 as a way to justify their actions. But these verses aren’t meant to stand alone. We need to continue reading and investigate verses 25-30 as well:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.”

God was very specific that men are supposed to love their wives the same way that they love and take care of their own bodies. Abuse in any form has no place in a marriage, or any relationship. A healthy marital relationship mirrors the relationship between Christ and His Church. Neither God nor His Word permits or condones abusive behavior in a marriage or any other relationship.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. And check out what help is available from Safe Haven Services.

Is your church a safe place for victims of domestic violence?

Season 3, Episode 44: Domestic Violence: There is Help Available

Season 2, Episode 37: Why Do Abuse Victims Stay: "Every Breath You Take" by Ann Rule

Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

Get your copy of “Love Lies: a True Story of Marriage and Murder in the Suburbs”

Want Private Investigator approved safety tips? Grab a copy of my book.