Every week almost for the past year, my AP Language and Composition class has held discussions on the importance of certain controversial topics occurring throughout the nation. We've covered foreign allegiance, racial prejudice, aged literature, and are now talking about feminism. Writings like, Shakespeare's Sister, In Search of our Mother's Gardens, Beauty, and The Clan of the One Breasted Women have been rhetorically analyzed and picked apart to no end for the past month.
Yesterday in our little circle of 7 or 8 people, we analyzed the importance of religion (in the story's case, Mormonism) in regards to, The Clan of the One Breasted Women. We came to the section in the story where the author talks about how in the Mormon religion, "authority is respected, obedience is revered, and independent thinking is not. [She] was taught as a young girl not to "make waves" or "rock the boat" (Terry Tempest Williams). Some of the girls in my group then began talking about how this is expected because The Bible says that, "women are to remain quiet" (1 Tim. 2:12), and, "should be in submission [at the church]" (1 Cor. 14:34). It then began to sound like they (the girls in the discussion) felt the Bible restricted women from living their lives and being themselves. This greatly saddened me because the Bible has taught me so much more about womanhood than just those few verses. I believe they are meant to remind women that God has uniquely ordained men to lead us, just as Jesus leads His bride, the church. I believe we are meant to respect our husbands and that our purpose is not to lead congregations in ministry - I believe this because I believe that every word spoken in the Bible is true. But I want girls to know that the Bible is not meant to take away our passions, livelihood, and careers- in fact it gives us many. Through it, The Lord gives us our confidence (Proverbs 3:26) and our identity (1 Peter 2:9). As cliche as it sounds, as I grow into the woman that God has predestined me to become and as my friends grow into the women that God has known them to be since before they were even thought of, I pray that The Lord will bless us with: The strength of Deborah and Jael to fight on the good side of this spiritual warfare between God and the devil as God enabled them to fight their enemies in Judges 4 and 5, The angel who protected Hagar as she was excluded and ostracized due to her enslavement and unwanted pregnancy in Genesis, The surrender of Hannah as she willingly gave her son to the church in praise to The Lord for blessing her with a child in 1 Samuel, The courage of Esther to fight for the lives of her people and call out Haman who sought out to destroy her cousin Mordecai in the book of Esther, The patience of Noah's wife as she waited for the promise of deliverance from the great flood in Genesis 6-8, The trust that the prostitute, Rahab, had to God in protecting His people in the book of Joshua, as she hid them from soldiers seeking their destruction. Her identity was no longer in the fact that she sold her body to other men, but in the fact that she was one of Jesus Himself's ancestors, The loyalty of Ruth to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her unwavering love for her despite the fact that they no longer held relation to one another, The faith of Mary, Jesus' mother, in God to bear His child despite the rumors and lies circulating due to the fact that she had yet been wed to Joseph, The witness of Mary Magdalene as she was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection. God gave her significance in His story of redeeming humanity, The ears of Mary and the hospitality of Martha as Mary knew when to be still and listen to Jesus' stories and Martha knew to welcome others into her home, And finally, the excitement and passion that the woman at the well had to hearing that Jesus has the living water needed for eternal life, These are just a few of the incredible stories that the Bible illustrates the importance in the roles of women. My conclusion to the feminist discussions in class is this - you are meant for more than idle sitting. You are more than the shine in your hair and the size of your breasts and the length of your legs. You are meant for more than white picket fences and mini vans. You are meant to dwell in the fact that The Lord has made your existence to be more purposeful and extremely awesome than the expectations that the world has bestowed upon us. You are meant to dwell in the peace of knowing that your Heavenly Father sent His son Jesus to die on a cross for you. And you are meant to share that news with the rest of the world be it your children, your boss, coworkers, parents, or friends. Those women made waves in Jesus' story. They rocked the Bible's boat. God made them significant, and He gives us value too. You don't have to feel like the Bible confines you to a certain standard to uphold. Live as The Lord calls you to live - as a business owner, counselor, principal, doctor, housewife, mother, or accountant. And understand that He made you not to be just "good," but, "very good."
3 Comments
Shauntay
5/20/2016 02:35:52 am
Very well said!!!!
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Monica weeks
5/21/2016 09:28:28 am
Alexa, you may not remember me but your Aunt Susie and I worked together at IML in 2008-2011. I started going to with her and your Uncle Phil in 2010 but had previously been coming on Wednesday evening bible studies. For a couple of years I would help your mom and Susie decorate their tables for the Christmas brunch. I say all this to say I have watched over Facebook, you and your sister grow up which continues to be a blessing as I watch the lord mold you into a woman for Him. I too was raised in with Christian parents and like you early in my teens had to figure out was I living my parents beliefs or mine. God became very real to me and my relationship with him in my teenage years rooted my faith and belief that would take me places that I never could have imagined. The insight that God has given you into the lives of women is something that has come from God and your understanding is so encouraging. I have wondered so often what has happened to the young teenage women in our churches because I have not seen the kind of commitment
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Monica weeks
5/21/2016 09:37:09 am
Alexa, so sorry but I sent the previous comment to early. Just wanted to say I have wondered if there were young teenage women out there like me 49 years ago. It has been through your blog that I see there are and I praise the lord for the encouragement you are to those who read your blog and to those around you. I will pray that God will continue to grow you in His wisdom and understanding and He will use you as he did, Deborah, Mary, Rahab,Ruth,Esther,and Timothy's mother &grandmother. Sent with much love to a dear sister in Christ,
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