October is Domestic Violence Prevention Awareness month in the USA. 

Brittany McCray is the Adult Advocate for Safe harbors of the Finger Lakes (SHFL),  a  domestic violence counseling not for profit center in several central NYS counties.   The SHFL centers exist to help people whose violent victimization has harmed, wounded, and perhaps  overwhelmed their lives;  because what once was a loving relationship to them has become something fearful and violent, confusing and heart-breaking.  New York state has a coalition of organizations to help victims:
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Of course, every month is domestic violence prevention month, because this awful thing that happens inside of intimate relationships harms its victims and extends its harm and confusion to friends and families.  Domestic Violence (DV) is not only one partner taking a swipe in anger at another - but it is also spiritual abuse, gaslighting, emotional abuse, controlling the money and inducing fear generally in the household.  Domestic  Violence touches 1 in 3 women. Again, Domestic Violence touches 1 in 3 women, in our country.

This is a matter of faith and justice, healing and education. We must act with love and say Domestic Violence is rejected in the name of grace and love.
Christians, we reject the harming of one another in the name of Christ.

We call upon all communities of faith to pray how to get involved to keep women and children from harm and provide healing; we also pray that abusive men have a path to learning how to respect and love the people with whom they are partnered.

Listen as Rev. Dr. Robin Blair of the Social Holiness Team in the UNY AC UMC, and Brittany McCray from SHFL talk about DV prevention and offer hope to those suffering this spiritual, emotional, physical and psychic abuse at the hands of domestic partners. 

The Social Holiness team of the Upper New York Annual Conference of the UMC presents: Common Table Podcast UMC. We aim to lift awareness and offer education to matters of justice in the human community in the name of Christ. Rev. Dr. Robin Blair, host.