Sarah's Story: Girls, Gender & Gospel (Part 4)

Sarah shared these stories of how girls are violated in Uganda.I've been giving a lot of thought to how the Gospel restores these girls. Sometimes when I share Christ with another I tell them: "Christ died for your sins and got up. Now he's with God and if you believe what he accomplished on the cross then you can be forgiven and reunited with God." It's right but perhaps not right enough. When I hear myself speak the Gospel this way I wonder "how does this translate to these girls who've been violated?" I wonder, "how does the Gospel redeem a girl's mind, soul & body"? After all, the abuse occurred because and to her female body. I'm pondering how I can speak the Gospel in a way that communicates God's redemption and restoration (shalom living) to a girl's whole self, including her body?Here's some stories Sarah shared, followed by a few questions she and I asked. Would love your thoughts. You can help both Sarah and I as we banter over these ideas and realities. A young girl, 7-8 receives school fees from an older man. A year later he expects sexual favors in return. The little girls father tells her it's right for her to do so.  A 12-year-old girl is raped. She becomes pregnant. She is now considered defiled by her tribe. She no longer will bring a fee for marriage (few cows).  In her tribe women are property (yes, think Old Testament when women were property). The tribe will now have to kill the girl because she is no longer valuable property. In fact she is a burden to feed. She must die.A girl finishes her grade but the teacher won't pass her until she has sex with him. Given the "flower petal" model how does this speak to these girls?  How does your version of the Gospel speak to this - or not?One more –How does the Gospel address the redemption of their female gender? Remember it's because of their gender they have been violated.