Men Helping to End Domestic Violence – 2

In my last blog, I shared articles about men standing up to end domestic violence in two foreign countries – Ecuador and Sierra Leone. Here is the link to my last blog.

This week I would like to highlight some efforts being made by men in the United Kingdom.

Here is a video of the actor Patrick Stewart, best known for his role as Captain Picard from Star Trek. Here is the link.

The video lasts around 7 minutes. If you have time to watch it, I highly recommend it. It is touching and beautiful. For those of you who don’t have time, I will summarize it here.

Patrick is asked by a fan what he is most proud of besides acting. He answers he is most proud of his work with an organization called Refuge in England that fights against domestic violence. Find Refuge at refuge.org.uk.  

Refuge provides safe houses, child support services, lobbying, and many other services. Patrick became involved with Refuge because of the violence he and his brother and mother experienced at the hands of his father when he was a child. He says “I do what I do in my mother’s name because I couldn’t help her then – now I can.”

When the police used to come to their house after his mother was beaten, she was told “Mrs. Stewart, you must have done something to provoke him,” and “It takes two to make an argument”. Patrick says “WRONG, WRONG! She didn’t provoke him, and even if she had, violence is never EVER a choice a man should make.”

Patrick believes, “The people who could do the most to improve the situation of women and children are men”.

At the end of the video, he leaves the podium, goes into the audience, and hugs the fan.

      This is a man with class.

Here are some bible verses that apply to those who might be abusive to women and children:

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Psalm 146:9

The Lord watches over the foreigner

    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,


    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Matthew 18:6

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

I pray that we all will learn to guard our hearts. Thank you Lord that there are upstanding men in the world. I also pray that you will place it on the hearts of more and more men to stand up and say NO to domestic violence in their homes and communities.