A Christian woman suffered violent abuse at the hands of her Christian husband as she was preparing to leave him. This scenario is quite familiar to and in the Black church and Black community. What is also familiar is our willingness to turn a blind eye or over spiritualize it into irrelevance. No matter how we choose to ignore violence against women in the Black community, the truth is it happens to 1out of every 4 of our sistahs.

Every day African American girls and women are victims of incest, molestation, dating violence, rape and domestic violence. For generations we have hidden and denied our dirty laundry around issues of abuse. I understand the struggle of trying to figure out how to acknowledge violence against Black females without having ourselves maligned with the stereotype that African American men are inherently more violent than other racial/ethnic groups. I also understand the need to protect women and girls without creating further oppression of the Black man. But women and girls are suffering in silence and some are being killed.

Only God knows what would have been Bynum’s fate if a hotel attendant had not intervened in the parking lot attack. While I appreciate the tenderness of naming the elephant in the room, since we all know it is there, it’s time to name it. We can’t let our fear of the power of racism from the larger community keep us from having mercy and doing justice in our own communities.

The hearts, minds, bodies and lives of women and girls are too high a cost to pay to protect a semblance of unity and peace in our intimate relationships. Yes, there are those who lay in wait to judge and condemn us. And there are those who try to keep another brother from falling prey to our often unjust justice system. But we know that we have been silent too long when those we look to for spiritual guidance are too afraid and too ashamed to get help themselves.

Now is a providential time for the Black church, a time when we stand on the very edge of opportunity for change in God’s Kingdom. It is not too late to turn from our fears and embrace love, esteeming and valuing women and girls more than false images and practices that camouflage the sin of intimate violence.

In the midst of this sinful, criminal, and immoral act of violence we are encouraged that God can still bring about some good. The Bynum-Weeks case has given the Black church an opportunity to raise its prophetic voice among its people.

· Now is the time for the Black church to speak against domestic violence, and all violence against women.

· Now is the time for the Black church to bring theological clarity to the misuse of power and control in intimate relationships. No longer can the church hide behind the misinterpretation of scripture which holds women hostage.

 · Now is the time for the Black church to send a message of healing, liberation and empowerment to women living in abusive relationships with vows broken in the name of God.

 · Now is the time for the Black church to call our men to take a stand for justice and help end violence against women.

I hope this point in Black church history will not be remembered by the unholy rift this horrible violence has created in a family, a church, and a community. Instead, may the Black church re-emerge magnificently as the sanctuary of love and justice in its community.

Guest Blog by Rev. Aleese Moore-Orbih, D.Min. FaithTrust Institute www.faithtrustinstitute.org