Bullying: The Answer is Jesus

As I considered a title for this entry I couldn't help but think of the story of the pastor who was delivering a children's message. He described a small animal with a long busy tail. He told the children they had often seen them playing in parks and yards and running along telephone wires. When he asked for a response one little girl raised her hand. "I think you are describing a squirrel, but I am sure the answer is Jesus."

Now the issue being described in bullying. It's a topic that is much more serious, but I am confident that answer is the same.

Bullying is not going away. This time it was a fifteen year old girl from Staten Island, New York named Amanda. She died six days after throwing herself in front of a city bus. Police found a suicide note in her pocket. A broken romantic relationship had brought her into conflict with another female student. As she lay dying in the hospital the bullying continued on her Facebook page.

It might sound simplistic, but I really believe Jesus is the ultimate antidote to the epidemic that is bullying. As a person, Jesus was the opposite of a bully. He came to the defense of those who were being victimized by society. Read John
8:1-11. There we meet a woman who had suffered a broken romantic relationship. Was she without sin? No. But then neither were her accusers. Jesus chose to intervene. He befriended the victim and restored her dignity.

Nobody deserves to be bullied. We all have our flaws. Bullies see those flaws and point them out. They hammer away at their victims unmercifully. Social media now allows the bullying to become public. What was once confined to school hallways is now out there for the whole world to see. It's no wonder that some kids choose to end their lives rather than face continuing harassment.

And how do we stop this madness?

It begins when we call attention to the issue. It continues when we discuss the topic with our teens. It's addressed when we equip and challenge our young people to befriend and comfort those who are being victimized. The risk is that the bully will re-direct their venom and the one who intervenes will suddenly become another victim. That is where we need to teach our kids to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. They need to pray for discernment in the decisions they make. They need to ask for courage to act in a Christ-like manner. As parents we need to pray daily that God will put a wall of protection around the souls of our kids.

Jesus is the only answer. He is the antidote for bullying.