Don’t despair, betrayal is party of the journey.

Don’t despair, betrayal is party of the journey.

Do not despair; betrayal is part of the journey. In one way or another, most of us have faced or experienced betrayal of some sort at some stage of our lives. We are not only victims of betrayal but also perpetrators of betrayal. Betrayal is part of life. It happens daily. Some betrayals are intentional and some are unintentional. It happens to most loyal, trustworthy, and faithful people. It knows no age, creed, color, political background, or financial status. Betrayal is there just like sicknesses, it can be acute or chronic.

I concur with Dixon (2009:9) citing Jones & Burdette saying, “We will all suffer some sort of betrayal in our lives, sometimes minor and sometimes severe, and unfortunately most of us will at some point also betray others. It is a suggestion that any time we enter into any sort of relationship with others we run the risk of that they can betray us at any point during the development of that relationship. And in a sense, we have to decide whether the relationship is worth taking that risk for or not, given that betrayal can cause pain.”

What makes betrayal more painful is that most of the time people who betray us are the people we love, care about, and trust dearly. In her blog, Chery says, “The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.” The real question we should ask ourselves is, ‘who is capable of betrayal?’ Without being sarcastic, anyone is capable of betraying another human being. To be more specific; you, your spouse, your siblings, your parents, your relatives, your friends, your colleagues, your business partners, your fellow Christians, and your leaders are all capable of betraying someone. When our families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or people whom we trusted dearly perpetuate betrayal, it makes us feel devastated and heartbroken. If not managed well, it can give birth to hatred, anger, and bitterness.

If you can observe closely, you will come to realize that betrayal is being normalized these days due to the self-serving spirit of ‘me, myself, and I.’ ‘Don’t despair, betrayal is part of the journey’ is a book for you. It will most definitely help you to deal with betrayal and help you to heal and go forward without any burden caused by betrayal.

Dr PT Masase