This was not a post I intended to write. This "Biblical Womanhood" thing was supposed to be a trilogy (because all good things come in 3's, right?). But there's more.
(As a refresher, you can read Parts 1, 2, and 3, here, here, and here respectively)
I've always considered myself a feminist. I'm strong, and fiercely independent. I'm athletic, I can play sports and keep up with the boys. I can do things on my own, I don't need any man to carry my luggage for me, or to help me change a flat, or to validate me. I am my own woman.
Furthermore, all women need to have this realization - All women need to understand that they can empower themselves by taking action, standing up to men, that they themselves are capable (perhaps with a little outside assistance) of freeing themselves from this perpetual suppression by men. One of the best ways to achieve development and freedom is to empower women, and to make them equal with men. Right?
But the thing is, I'm not independent at all (much as I fancy myself as such)! I'm entirely dependent. I'm not my own at all - I belong entirely to God (you do too, whether you realize it or not)! All those things above - all those things are lies. Lies of the enemy and of the world. I can't keep up with boys (at least not all of them), I can't do things on my own, I do need help. This whole "independent" thing I've been striving for and basing my entire life on, it's actually really bad. Because everything I have has been given by the Gracious God, and everything I can do is only through the Lord Almighty.
While empowering women is great, the flip side of that issue is how we portray men. By portraying men as perpetually hedonistic animals who will always suppress women without the checks of government, or moral/ethical codes strictly imposed, and women as strong, enabled, people who must overthrow this culture of oppresion, we are hurting both men AND women.
And I'm totally guilty of this. I do it often. I play the victim who has overcome because that's what culture tells me I need to do, and I see men in my head as horrible human beings (save the few decent ones I'm friends with).
What if we used the Gospel to empower women AND men? What if we allowed the Gospel to be used as a way to empower men to stand up against cultural norms that measure masculinity by how many STI's you have? Or by how well your wife submits to you, or by how many fights you can tough out, or how big your muscles are? What if we could empower men to stand up and say enough, to treat their fellow humans well (both men and women)?
And what if we could empower women to accept help sometimes? What if we could redefine feminism not by how militant you are against men, or how well you support yourself, or how "confidently" you dress, or how many men you can beat out for that promotion? The living in the extreme of women who believe that equality means "exact same in every way" narrowly defines what good means - and it still defines it on male terms. It's slavery disguised as empowerment. It's the empowerment of Satan to continue to enslave ourselves to the lies of the world - twisted truth. What if we could find some way to empower women to be who they were designed and created to be, without dependence on masculinity OR submission - what if we could find a way to empower women in the image of their Creator?
I'm thinking it might be a good idea to re-evaluate not only how I see myself, but how I view gender-relations issues across the world. I don't totally know what that means or looks like, but change should probably accompany this thought process.
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