How Could She Do Such a Thing
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. ”
Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of five of six counts, including the most heinous charge of sex trafficking minors. The jury made their ruling on the evening of Wednesday, December 29, 2021. It would be easy to dehumanize Ghislaine Maxwell and make her into another worldly evil. Yet, labeling Maxwell as evil keeps her from being anything like the rest of us. Yet, most factual stories are more complex if we look beyond the surface.
Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of bombastic English media mogul Robert Maxwell. By most accounts, Robert dominated his daughter emotionally, and she felt she needed her father to sustain her lifestyle. Abusers like Jeffrey Epstein can smell vulnerable people and innately know how to manipulate another’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, it appears Jeffrey Epstein found the right candidate for his control. Upon Robert Maxwell’s death in 1991, he was found to have illegally mishandled corporate holdings and fraudulently handled his company’s pension funds. Ghislaine went from being incredibly wealthy to being broke and humiliated. Jeffrey Epstein walks into the void of her life and promises financial salvation.
Her apparent savior, Jeffery Epstein, knew he could ask anything of her, and she would perform; otherwise, her world of luxury would disappear as quickly as her father did. While this is no excuse for her actions, it does help one understand the motivation behind the madness. Many people lose fortunes and do not allow themselves to act in such unconscionable ways. While her life is corrupt, we can learn from her horrific mistakes.
Ghislaine Maxwell never received proper guidance on a moral and ethical life from her family as she was growing up. Then, at a pivotal moment, when a moral and ethical foundation would be vitally important, she was left empty, ready to be filled with narcissism, self-hatred, and an utter disregard for others modeled by yet another man. Today, ponder Ghislaine Maxwell’s fall and seek wisdom, so we do not make similar mistakes. Sin warps life, leaving us unable to see goodness, love, or hope. Our sins may not be as glaring, but they follow similar narcissism, self-hatred, and a lack of empathy. Only through divine care and instruction can we avoid being warped by our moral and ethical shortcomings.
