“Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.”  Psalm 25:20

“Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  Mark 13

“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”  Mark 13:11

“The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9

October is National Bullying Prevention Month in the United States.  There is also an international Stand Up to Bullying Day, which is normally held in February with the next one being February 22, 2019. With the emphasis on bullying and bullied in mind is there something to be gleaned from scripture concerning it?

I’ve heard a couple of paramount themes in the recent years as it concerns bullying, especially with my wife being a fifth grade teacher.  First, while bullying has always been around, today it is much more widespread, virulent, with ever greater damaging results. There is a second, more whispered, hidden yet strongly felt belief that there’s not more bullying; we’ve just become too soft.  That if we’d only stick to the mantra, “suck it up, buttercup”, then we wouldn’t have so much of a problem.

So while few would argue that bullying is some sort of new phenomenon or behavior; some recent statistics provide a rather stark assessment of the impact of bullying in today’s culture, especially among youth.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the third largest killer of young people in the United States.  A Yale University study found students who were bullied were 2-9 times more likely to consider suicide. A study in Britain found up to half of the suicides committed there by young people were due to bullying.

In my experience, one of the major differences and impact of growth in bullying has to do with social media.  Because bullying has always had a stigma associated with it, the behavior was most often carried out outside of public observation or scrutiny. The bully or bullies would find the private place, behind the school, in the restroom or some other out of the way place to execute their nefarious deeds.  If the bullying was by communication only, it was done by whispers in small groups or closely guarded notes. The bully wanted to exert their power without being caught by an authority who could and would bring an end to their practices.

Yet our social media culture makes the initiation and spread of bullying easier as well as the ability for piling on ever more hurtful expressions as simple as a few keystrokes and a click.  With the plethora of social media platforms, a vicious rumor, unkind picture or personal attack can be initiated and spread through literally hundreds of people and countless locations in an amazingly short period of time. What might have been limited to a few dubious people in a classroom or an office, can zoom around at the literal speed of light to multiple social media addresses and platforms.

But what about the old “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”, response to bullying.  Well that can be all well and good when the “words” used to come from one or two people.  However, now when it seems that most if not the entire office, team, school or group may be in on or at least sharing those words, those words become more devastatingly impactfull.  That can be especially true when someone’sz privacy has been betrayed and some intimate detail is paraded out and around.

So what are we to do? Where are we to turn? What is an amazing truth is that God knows about bullying.  Now being all powerful and all knowing, you might think that His only knowledge would be that of the bully.  After all, can you really bully God?  Well, we sure tried.

You see, God became flesh and blood in the person of Jesus and when He did, He became the subject of an amazing amount of bullying.  Jesus was bullied from all quarters; family and friends, the government and many a stranger who never really heard of Him.  Yet it was not just Jesus, David was bullied by Goliath and his own family for being the youngest, the smallest and not being all that attractive.  Mary, Jesus’s mother, was at an extremely high risk or bullying, becoming pregnant before she was married.  The apostle Paul was bullied significantly because, when his name was Saul, he mistakenly persecuted the early church, sending people to jail and worse.  When Saul converted and became Paul, he was subject to bullying from others who did not believe in his conversion.  There are many more examples throughout the bible.

Yet please understand this, in all cases, God is on His throne.  God will be and is refuge enough against the fiercest of bullying.  God does not allow the bully or the evil of bullying to last or to prosper.  Think of some of histories most notorious bullies; Roman Emperor Nero, Hitler, Stalin, Senator Joseph McCarthy, Saddam Huessein for some examples.  While there was a time they seemed to be at the pinnacle of power and perhaps popularity; their evil deeds did not go unpunished leading to ultimate ruin.  That is what awaits all unrepentant bullies to some extent.  God does not suffer the innocent to be oppressed for long and evil doers to go unpunished.

Thus if you’re in the circumstance of being bullied, reach up and out to God.  Ask Him for His help and deliverance and know He will be right by your side.  The bullying of Goliath and his brothers didn’t stop David.  God sent angels to protect Mary from any harm.  Jesus Christ intervened on behalf of Paul.

If you’re being bullied or seeing another bullied, be careful about seeking retribution on your own or for the sake of someone else.  Jesus Christ could have utterly and easily crushed those who tried to bully Him but chose mercy and forgiveness instead.  Through Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, God declares “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay…….”  Wait upon the Lord and He will act.  It may be that you might be called to be an instrument in the Lord’s Will but wait upon the Spirit to lead versus making that assumption.  God is able, remember what happened to the bullying chariots of Pharaoh when they were going to attack the Israelites on the shore of the Red Sea.  God will prevail.

Additionally, don’t become the bully, either in response to a bully or in some mistaken sense of righteousness.  Do not believe that we have the right to act in some judgmental, hurtful manner to stop some transgression.  Remember how Christ chastised the bullies who wanted to judge and then stone the woman caught in adultery.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, whether being the recipient of or witness to an act of bullying, do become lost in a sea of disillusionment or despair; even if that bullying should come from a religious institution, leader or person.  Call upon, have confidence and find peace in the Comforting Arms of our Heavenly Father. He will be your refuge and protector as well as seeing to the demise of the evil at hand.

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we live in a world where so often, there is an attempt by the seemingly powerful to unjustly wield that power upon the innocent. You did not create this world to be that way and for us to treat each other so.  We pray that You would be swift to come to the aid of those oppressed by bullies, shielding them from the injustice and abuse of the evil perpetrated against them.  We also ask that You would enter into the heart of the perpetrator, the bully, to turn it away from evil designs and actions.  Yet let Your justice come against the unrepentant that refuse Your mercy and desire to continue their destructive ways.  That in protecting and restoring the innocent, turning the perpetrator from evil or bringing Your perfect justice down upon them; we would bring unceasing praise to Your Holy Name.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen