How do you be around someone who has done evil?

Question:

Hi,

I’ve been reading through your website and have found your work interesting. I was wondering if you have some advice for me in a situation relating to my boyfriend and his family.

Recently my boyfriend’s stepmother filed for divorce against his father. Scripturally, both parties are in the wrong in different aspects. His stepmother is divorcing him over how he is trying to discipline her son (his stepson). His dad has also done wrong. He has not been faithful and has cheated on my boyfriend’s stepmother with her daughter. Something that his stepmother is not aware of at the moment to mine and my boyfriend’s knowledge. Overall, this is very ugly and something my boyfriend doesn’t want to go through again, even though he has no choice.

I was wondering what would be the best course of action for me to be supportive and help him through this difficult time. We have been studying the Bible together for most of our relationship and have had very thoughtfully conversion about what it says. He has grown up with mostly Baptist teaching while I attend a church of Christ.

Along this line how would you handle being around someone that has done so much evil and caused so much pain in his son's life as his father? My boyfriend and I are rather serious in our relationship and plan to get engaged and married one day. However, I worry about how I would act around his father and any potential fallout that could happen from this. His father knows that I and his son do not approve of his choices.

Thank you so much for your time.