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Meet Bethany James

Posted on February 15, 2008

The photograph on your right is of a 15 year-old student in England. Her name is Bethany James. The photograph below is of the same teenager.

The damage done to her face was not from a car accident or plane accident. Nor was it caused by her falling down stairs or off a roof. Nor did something fall onto her. It wasn’t caused by some deranged or sick man. It wasn’t caused by any accident or by someone trying to take advantage of her.

The cause of the rip in her nose, the two deep gashes on her cheek, the swelling in her lips, and the deep scratches is debated by some. Some see the cause as parental. Some see it as adolescent. And some see it as societal. And a few see it as spiritual.

What you see took fifteen minutes. What you don’t see is her blood stained clothes and her blood matted hair. Nor do you see the volume of blood on the ground where she laid for fifteen minutes.

And for some reason we also don’t see the cause.

They know who did it, but they don’t see why they did it. The who is two other girls.

When the attack began, a friend of Bethany called her mom. When the mom arrived fifteen minutes later she stopped them from repeatedly kicking her in the face, rushed her to her car, and then watched as the two girls tried to get into the car to continue the attack.

Why did they do it? Some know why. But when they speak the reason is dismissed.

I’ll state their reason, but it will be largely dismissed by almost all of us. We are a culture, including myself, that is entertained by violence. We gravitate towards it. We spend good money to watch people shoot each other while we munch away on popcorn. We watch highlights of hard hits in football. Boxing and hockey are quite often enjoyed for their brutal side.

I think we need to wrestle with the side of ourselves that enjoys watching violence. And I think we need to wrestle with the loss of our own self-respect in that we are desensitized to violence. And I think we need to wrestle with the spiritual realities of seeing some people (in real life or in entertainment) as less than neighbors and not loving them as we would want to be loved.

We should not be surprised at this attack! The girls only did what they and other people enjoy. Violence is fun, funny, and pleasurable. Why is wrong to do it, but not wrong to pay for it, watch it, and enjoy it in the warm comfort of our own home?

Someone will argue here that violent media and personal violence are two different things. And on one hand they are correct, but that shouldn’t make us feel better. Where in the realm of Christ and Christianity is violence an entertaining thing? On the other hand, let’s be honest that a culture that is entertained by violence will have a hard time with drawing boundaries of “acceptable” violence.

And this is where Christians come in. We are contributing to that culture! And thus we contribute to the loss of those boundaries and to those who suffer from it.

Personally, I am convicted by this picture of Bethany James and my own pleasure, enjoyment, and amusement by media violence. I hope we all are.

Photo credit     Photo credit

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14 Comments so far
  1. Linda February 15, 2008 8:08 pm

    Oh my goodness! This is absolutely chilling!!

    “Personally, I am convicted by this picture of Bethany James and my own pleasure, enjoyment, and amusement by media violence. I hope we all are.”

    Lord, help us all!

    Amen, Steve

  2. Steve February 15, 2008 9:38 pm

    I too find it chilling.

  3. Suzanne February 16, 2008 10:37 am

    This is utterly dispicable….I went over and read the story under the photo at Flickr, what happened to this girl is horrible enough but the lacking, hardened response of this “Christian” school and the authorities are even more shocking.

    Chris Robinson, deputy head at Immanuel [how ironic] College, said: ‘Any bullying that the college becomes aware of is dealt with in a robust manner supported by the additional care we show for each other through our strong Christian ethos.’

    Wow. “Strong Christian ethos” aside, according to the article the mother had been to the school “at least 6 times” with a complaint; the girl had been severely bullied over a period of 4 years; there was proof through text and other messages left by the bullies -how much more “aware”ness did they need?

    Police said two girls have been questioned as witnesses but no arrests have been made.

    ‘Since the attack she has been going to school for only two hours a day in the isolation unit, while these girls carry on as normal.

    Never having been much for violence in movies/media (tho not excused from like voyuerisms by any means) I am more convicted of my own neglect to just get out there and spread the Gospel.
    The harvest is certainly white. People need to know the love of Jesus more than ever before.

    We do need to be shaken from our calm sometimes Steve, well stirred.

  4. Steve February 16, 2008 11:30 am

    Thanks Suzanne. I try to catch myself at being comfortable and/or enjoying TV/movie violence. I want to be on the side of the problem that says we’ve been too easygoing for too long.

  5. Dad Spray February 17, 2008 10:59 pm

    Our cultural violence and its resultant effects are nothing more than “man’s inhumanity against mankind.” This is a phrase that we constantly used while cringing at the atrocities from the maimings and killings that we witnessed while flying combat in Vietnam. I hated war and violence then, and I hate it now. I tire of turning on the TV at night and hearing and seeing nothing but one incident after another of violence on he news. And then the prime time shows come on only to glorify the killings and the human medical dissections called autopsies. I personally am sick of it and refuse to watch it. I haven’t even wanted to watch any post Vietnam War films. Hollywood never tells the real story but only glorifies and embellishes the violence of the war to an extreme. The unrealistic portrayals of the graphic scenes leaves nothing to the imagination, and you said it correctly, Steve, when you said, “we need to wrestle with the loss of our own self-respect in that we are desensitized to violence.” I do not pretend to be a purist in this area, but I do feel I have not become desensitized to such gore and inhumanity. It bothers me deeply!

    Shouldn’t we be asking God what He thinks of this bizarre behavior? Or do we already know and are afraid to respond to His Will. Our culture should be a community of God fearing, Christ centered, all loving and interactive people, who are obedient to His Word. Whatever happened to the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers, ah yes, the peacemakers? I can’t find violence and all it portends in any of the attributes of these types of people. Why can’t we be like them? Christ wants us to be. The story of Bethany James is indeed tragic, our hearts go out to her, and we seek justice for the inhumanity perpetrated on her. But that’s not God’s way. He would have us love one another and be sensitive to those who are unfortunate like her. We are responsible for our behavior, and we should seek to do His Will in these matters…. just my two cents worth son. Thanks for the stirring.

  6. HowToMe February 18, 2008 11:47 am

    I was the object of teasing in high school - not because I was overweight, ugly, etc… I was thin, wore outdated clothes, a Christian, and not prone to retaliation. I was never injured physically, but tasted a great marvel when a few who’d quietly observed my life were intrigued enough to ask about my Lord. Sharing in His suffering, even when the wounds are deep, can profit much. She has certainly paid a terrible price, suffered injustice, offense, emotional trauma, and humiliation. All those things are easily healed in our sympathetic Saviors’ arms. May God use this encounter and the ones that led to it to change “the norm.” May God show this young lady that the victory His stripes have won surpasses the pain she feels in her body, mind and soul. May her life be blessed beyond her expectations and may she remember that vengeance belongs to our God. He is as just as He is gracious.

  7. Steve February 18, 2008 10:07 pm

    Hi Pops,

    Thanks for your comment. I thought it was very insightful. We had a board meeting this evening and I shared with the guys your thoughts. I think our culture has grown insenstive to media violence.

    -Steve

  8. Steve February 18, 2008 10:08 pm

    Hi HowToMe,

    Your words are so true. I really hope someone tells her such good news. Thanks.

    -Steve

  9. momma February 19, 2008 9:28 am

    Oh, no! How terrible! You are definitely right on target with Christians contributing to the culture of violence.

  10. Steve February 19, 2008 1:41 pm

    Hi Momma,

    I think we are too.

    Thanks,

    -Steve

  11. Angela February 19, 2008 9:30 pm

    wow, this is powerful! I feel so badly for this young woman! Does she know the Lord? thanks for posting this…very moving. You hit the nail on the head about our culture’s obsession with violence.

    IN Christ,

    angela

  12. Steve February 20, 2008 10:01 pm

    Thanks Angela. I don’t know much more than the detials I wrote about. I hope she knows the Lord or that someone in her life is telling her about him.

  13. Patricia (Pollywog Creek) February 21, 2008 3:24 am

    You nailed it with this question…”Where in the realm of Christ and Christianity is violence an entertaining thing?”

    Such senseless violence. I’m grateful that Bethany survived, but as a victim of violent crime myself, I know that emotional healing will not come easy.

    I worry about those who are not strong enough - the young, the disabled, and the old - who are potential victims.

    God help us.

  14. Steve February 22, 2008 1:27 pm

    Thanks Patricia. I worry about those things too a bit more now.

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