Survivor and Our Sinful World

The current season of Survivor just ended, and the big news wasn't the winner.  This season a player was removed from the game for inappropriate behavior, by making a crew member and another player feel uncomfortable through unwanted touching.

The interaction between the players on Survivor has always fascinated me, because the show portrays people as they really are - compassionate but conniving, self-centered, looking for connections, striving to win while wanting to be liked.  People are complicated, and the show is never a Hallmark movie. 

Questions to consider:

1.  Was there behavior that might have made someone feel ill at ease?  And does this same conduct often happen in society, in the workplace, at social events, maybe even at church?

2.  What should the person's response be, the person who feels violated?

3.  How should we handle these situations? 

In today's society, everybody's a victim, and innocent actions get blown-up into major conflicts.  On this season of Survivor, I did note one scene that really seemed to support the accusation of questionable behavior.

But the truth is, interactions among people are complicated and not always clear-cut.  One person may be offended by a certain behavior, and another person may find that same conduct innocent or even attractive.

Likewise, people can make other people feel uncomfortable, sometimes with playfulness and sometimes with evil intentions.  Many people probably don't even recognize borderline or abusive behavior in themselves or in those they work closely with.

But we live in a sinful world.  We're sinful people, and we can't deny our sinful nature. 

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  Romans 3:10-11

Our sinful nature is there in how we treat one another, and it's there in our quickness to judge and condemn another person.

The loving response from someone who feels violated is first, to speak up, either to the person or to a superior.  And second, the offended person should consider showing mercy and allowing the benefit of the doubt, forgiving the other person.

...and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  Colossians 3:13 

But the ultimate responsibility in these situations falls with the leader, the person in charge, the one entrusted to protect others.  Unfortunately when actual abuse is occurring, many times leadership is slow to react and makes a victim feel worse by saying, "They didn't mean it that way.  It's just you and your perception."

Leadership is there to serve and to protect the weak.  People look to their leaders for help, for someone to listen, to understand, to make it better.  

Additionally, a leader has to protect the one being accused as there's always a very real possibility that the accusation is false.

Like I said, people are complicated; relationships are complicated.

It's why Jesus came, because we're sinful people living in a fallen world, and we need a savior.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24

And until that Day when Jesus returns, we'll live with and deal with the consequences of our sin, learning to forgive and to love one another, and learning to trust Him in and through it all.