“He is from a ‘broken family.'”
-Church-goer
I was pondering this label the other day:
“broken family.”
Notice this label is rarely–if ever–used in Christian circles to denote a family where one parent dies. It is the euphemism of choice to describe families that have experienced divorce.
I maintain that if we hesitate to use a label for widows and widowers then we ought to pause in using such a label for faithful spouses and their children.
The word “broken” comes with a judgment and implied question: “Who broke it?”
This is why I suspect we do not use it to describe families where a parent has died. We are not looking to place blame or judge the survivors.
Such is why I think it needs to go as a label.
A faithful spouse who courageously divorced a cheating abuser is ought not to be shamed. The kids who are innocent of all this ought not either.
This faithful spouse is providing as whole of a home as a widower or widow.
Such a person deserves support and praise as opposed to subtle (moral) shade thrown their way.
