Unforgivable Sins

I have had the privilege of meeting an incredible young woman here in Moldova who is 19 years old. I haven't said anything to her besides hi, thanks, and good morning, but I have learned her story through some of the missionaries here. Sara (obviously not her real name) is a believer and is a very kind-hearted person. A little over a year ago, she met a Moldovan man thorugh Operation Mobilization, a Missions organization that is all over the world. Sparks flew, he seemed like a nice guy, and she did the Moldovan thing, which is to marry young and very quickly after meeting someone. This turned out to be a mistake.

Within a short amount of time, the marriage became abusive physically, verbally, and emotionally. At times, her husband would lock her in the house during the day so she could not leave. She was beat and treated like a third rate human being (hate to tell you, but in a lot of ways women are already treated second rate here, and in many other places). It often takes women years upon years to walk away from an abusive relationship, and some never do. However, this girl knew that this was not right, and decided to leave her husband.

At this point, it seems that the church should step in and support such a woman who is broken and scarred, but this is the opposite of reality. Sara is now told that she is no longer allowed to be a member of the church. She is not allowed to serve in the church, and no pastor who submits to his authorities here in Moldova would dare to remarry her. So here you have a 19 year old girl with her whole life ahead of her, who if she continues to be a Christian and live in her home country, will remain single for the rest of her life. Moldova is not a land where women live single, have careers and enjoy life. Especially not Sara. As I see her sit and read with the kids and interact with them, I see in her a desire to be a mom, a desire that the church says will never be fulfilled, unless she goes back to her abusive husband.

It seems the church has added another unforgivable sin: Divorce. What about grace? Is that not a part of our vocabulary? I have been pretty frustrated about this, even though I know the pastors are men who strive for holiness, it should not be a holiness without grace. The church is the family of God, and I don't see too many families tossing out it's members because of a few mistakes.

Pray for Sara. Several missionaries have gone to bat with the bishops here for this woman, but with little success. Pray for the church in Moldova, that they would be able to inspire holiness through grace, as Jesus Christ does.