Friday, August 28, 2009

Race, Culture, & Religion (part 3 of 3) ...


We have talked about getting past the differences that keep us apart from our history.  But we have failed to address the differences we inherit in gender, and in age.  To become one, we must begin to examine what influence our cultures and traditions have had on the roles of men and women, as well as, young and old within our churches.  This is the last great divide we face as people before true unity can be achieved.

Women’s work.  It is an old expression generally applied to traditional home-maker tasks like cooking, cleaning and raising children.  We are quick to condemn it but fail to look at how it originated.  A mere hundred plus years ago our entire economy was still largely based on agriculture.  Family farms far outnumbered city slickers though the trend was beginning to change even then.  Under an agriculturally dominated economy, a farm requires many people to tend it.  Entire families were effectively partners in maintaining the family enterprise. 

Children helped out during the summers (which is why schools let out for this 3 months period of time), and wives maintained the entire household (a full and equal partner with an equal share of the work) while husbands and sons tended the flocks and fields.  This was no small effort on anyone’s part.  Women of that day may be looked at now through feminist eyes and thought less of, but in point of fact, they were equal partners then, and they are equal partners now.  Wives and daughters benefited from the family incomes of the successful farms, and shared the hardships when success was elusive.  The same is true today.

What has changed in an industrial followed by a services based / knowledge based economy is our immense ability travel and variety in task types.  Services now exist as entire industries such as accounting, consulting, and marketing that could not have survived a mere hundred plus years ago (at least on this scale).  This variety and this mobility changes the options both men and women have in supporting a family.  It creates a new ‘partnership’ required for success.  The old expression ‘women’s work’ now applies to every known form of generating income, nearly even the presidency of the United States (go Hillary).

Women are every bit as capable as men, every bit as smart, cunning, honorable or treacherous.  They have a few unique inherent strengths, and weaknesses as do men.  But most every job a man can do today, a woman can also do.  So why do we cling to segregation of roles within the body of the church?  It begins with historical biases founded on sexual differences.  We picture the typical women as ‘mom’ meaning, more nurturing, more protective, more consoling, than a man.  We picture the typical man as ‘dad’ meaning, a natural leader, the final authority in a argument, aggressive, risk takers, etc..  Our images of humans based on sexual gender plainly ignore the strengths of the individual. 

There are some men who are anything but aggressive, alpha male, leaders, who regularly take risks, hunt and conquer.  That does not make them any less than other men (though popular convention may disagree).  It merely makes them different.  I know a few men who are very sensitive, artistic, consoling, and nurturing and no, they are not all gay.  I know a few women who are natural leaders, fighters, thinkers, and conquerors (go Hillary) and that does not make them gay, or less than other more feminine supportive types either.  Just different.  Each person containing a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, some influenced by gender and hormones, some completely independent of tradition thinking or stereotypes. 

Because of our traditional thinking we have assigned tasks to men and to women based on gender rather than based on their spiritual gifts and abilities.  Any person who can speak well in public, inspire enthusiasm of an audience, demand attention to each word from careful articulation and excellent delivery – may well be qualified to preach.  Note I did not say any man, I said any person.  I also did not say, any straight heterosexual person, I said any person.  Sexual orientation outside of the ‘norm’ may be considered a lifelong struggle, but should be looked at no differently than the person or preacher who struggles with pride, or other forms of sexual misconduct. 

We all struggle.  No sin is different.  Men and women struggle with similar things – evil.  So who are we to limit who can preach based on our own perceptions of gender appropriate, or sexual preference?  Do we not deny God in this way, effectively rejecting HIS gifts of the Spirit to be able to preach?  There is no perfect preacher in this world.  Every one of them struggle with sins.  It is not up to us to judge their sins, but the content of the words they proclaim.  Do they preach forgiveness, hope, unconditional love, and the repentance of sins?  Or do they espouse lies for truth, evil for good, judgment from the pulpit and comparison with others?  By their fruits you shall know them, meaning, by their lives and acts of love and kindness it is easy to see who knows God and who does not.  Yourself included.

Duties within the body of Christ (the church) should be assigned based on the skills and abilities and willingness of the worshipper to serve.  The Gifts of the Spirit are to be cherished.  They are to be valued.  They are given for the edification of the church.  They are Christ’s parting gifts to us as He ascended to His Father.  We should relish what the Holy Spirit does in the life of anyone who is willing to serve.  We should not judge others based on our own foolish historical bias, but we should instead embrace others and cherish the gifts they choose to share with us.  No one who wishes to serve should be turned away.  Not ever.  I do not care how long they have been a Christian, whether it be 5 minutes, or 5 decades, those who wish to serve should serve.  To deny the Holy Spirit His work is to embrace sin that may not be forgiven.  It is dangerous ground to offend the vehicle of our Salvation by rejecting the work He does within us and those around us.

But to fully embrace this concept we must also overcome our historical prejudices about age and wisdom.  It is true that older people have the benefit of experience, and the wisdom (or sorrow) that comes from seeing many things.  It is also true that youth have more energy, tend to seek truth and ignore lies, and want to understand everything at a deeper level than they do today.  Youth question everything.  To assign roles within the body based on age, is to AGAIN ignore the work of the Holy Spirit.  It may be that a prophet is raised up within the body who is a mere teenager (anyone ever heard of Ellen G. White in the 1800’s, or perhaps Samuel of the old testament Israel).  They were mere children when first receiving the call, but the call was real, and work that followed is a testament to itself.  Youth is no barrier to service.  Nor is old age.

For us to assume leadership does not belong in the hands of the youth because they are young is to deny the very words of Christ himself who said … “let the children come unto me” and “you must become like little children in order to be saved”.  Note the absolute dependence little children have to exist and their complete comfort with this concept.  For protection they run to dad, for love to mom, for fun to each other.  So should we run to God for protection, for love, and for fun.  Christ did not say wait until they grow up before they come close to me.  He welcomed them immediately.  He did not say to them you need to grow up and become more adult like.  He said to adults to surrender their will and become more child like.  To exclude children from service paying no mind to their spiritual gifts is yet another apostasy.

We are limited by our bodies.  We are limited by our illness’s be they physical or spiritual.  We are limited by our pride.  Don’t we have enough limitations we self impose without adding to them gender bias, age bias, racial bias, and judgment of others?  Despite our infirmities, the Holy Spirit is gracious enough to place gifts within us.  Talents, skills, aptitudes, and abilities that are purely gifts from God – like all things we can choose to misuse them, use them for selfish gain and ignore service to others – or we could employ them for the benefit of man.  Choose to serve.  And reject no man, woman, child, or elderly statesperson who wishes to serve.  There is room for all.  And there is NEED of ALL.  The body is incomplete if you choose not to serve your portion.  The work is not left to others, but to everyone.  The work is not reserved for adults.  It is for everyone.  It is for you.  It is for me. 

Let us find a way to change our thinking.  Let us find a way to embrace those differences between us and value them rather than judge them.  Let us find a way to serve and accept the service of ALL who embrace it.  This is the pure will of the Father.  This is how true UNITY can be achieved, and perhaps in no other way…


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