by Dr. Jim Newheiser
During the COVID crisis, restrictions have been put in place which have sometimes kept people apart for the purpose of safety. For counseling cases in which there has been marital abuse the victim often must be separated from the abuser for the sake of safety. During this time, we counsel the abuser separate from the victim as we seek to lead him to faithful biblical repentance (2 Cor. 7:10-11). This often is a slow, hard process. We usually hope for the ultimate restoration of the marriage. We also must ensure that the mistreated spouse and children are safe. It is hard to know when the husband and wife are ready to move again towards each other. As Chris Moles often says, “If you have seen one case of abuse, you have seen one case of abuse.” Wisdom is required as they move towards reconciliation (James 1:5).
As I have observed how government leaders have implemented phased lifting of restrictions during the COVID crisis, it has occurred to me that a similar process might be appropriate as separated couples seek to safely remove restrictions on their interaction. Rather than moving instantly from separation to total restoration
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