Given all the strong, provocative, and affirming references to women in only these first six chapters of the Bible, it's amazing to me that the predominant theology and praxis for thousands of years has been far more inclined toward our weakness (of body and character), seduction, and shame. I certainly don't blame Scripture for this. And on some level, I don't even blame men. Context matters. History matters. It's not all that surprising (though no less disappointing) that the articulated thoughts of the learned and esteemed "experts" seeped into the consciousness of everyone around them and are now inculcated in not only our thoughts - conscious and unconscious - but the very fiber of our culture. But just because it is, doesn't make it OK. Rather, it invites me to re-imagining context and re-writing history - and then living in that reality; one that I think is far more consistent with Scripture's heart and intent.
The remaining verses of Genesis 6 (after the "beautiful women") read like this:
This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth had become corrupt in God's sight, and it was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere. So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Yes, I will wipe them all from the face of the earth! "Make a boat from resinous wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Construct an opening all the way around the boat, 18 inches below the roof. Then put three decks inside the boat-bottom, middle, and upper-and put a door in the side. "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing. Everything on earth will die! But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal-a male and a female-into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of each kind of bird and each kind of animal, large and small alike, will come to you to be kept alive. And remember, take enough food for your family and for all the animals." So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
God protects not only Noah, but women: Noah's wife and their sons' wives. On first glance I suppose this isn't all that profound. In order for the earth to be repopulated after its destruction women are going to be kind of important. I get it. But it's more than that. Listen to and look again at the words: But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and yours sons and their wives. This is about more than procreation. This is about a God who is gracious and kind, beautiful and compassionate.
Despite history and theology's attempts - again and again - to shame women because of Eve's "fall," God's heart (and Scripture) says otherwise - again and again. We are kept safe. We are protected. We are chosen. We are honored. We matter.
For my own sake, and hopefully yours as well, let me say those words again - slightly re-phrased:
God keeps women safe. God protects women. God chooses women. God honors women. We matter.
God keeps me safe. God protects me. God chooses me. God honors me. I matter.
This may seem an over-simplified reading of this text or, at best, like trying to pull something out of nearly-nothing. Not to me. And here's why: in my own life the internal and external messages have been far different. They have sounded far more like this:
I am not safe. I am not protected. I am not chosen. I am not honored. I don't matter.
And the world around me continues to hammer these "truths" into my psyche. Domestic violence. Sexual trafficking. Pornography. Gender bias. Pay gaps. The list goes on and on.
For me, it's not oversimplified or nearly-nothing. It's everything. When Scripture offers me and all of us actual text, actual language, actual wording that heals those messages, I'm going to soak it up. With the onset of a flood (whether real or metaphorical), I am kept safe. When all seems lost, I am kept safe. When I feel like I'm drowning in a world that harms more than heals, I am kept safe. When I doubt my own value and worth, I am kept safe.
I am safe. I am protected. I am chosen. I am honored. I matter.
I am safe. I am protected. I am chosen. I am honored. I matter.
I am safe. I am protected. I am chosen. I am honored. I matter.
Language matters. The Text matters. Genesis 6:18 matters. Thanks be to God.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Beautiful Women
Here's the beginning of Genesis 6:
When the human population began to grow rapidly on the earth, the sons of God saw the beautiful women of the human race and took any they wanted as their wives. Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, they will live no more than 120 years." In those days, and even afterward, giants lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes mentioned in legends of old.
Much exegesis has surrounded these verses and, understandably, much confusion. I will not attempt to add any more into the mix - exegesis or confusion. Rather, I want to focus again on what the text uncovers for us...but is often left covered.
Beautiful women...
Again, just two chapters out of Eden, this feels significant. Women are not shamed or shame-full creatures still bearing the weight of the first sin - at least not by the Text itself. As in chapter four and five, women are integral, involved, important - and in relationship with God. In addition, they are beautiful.
For me, a woman who has struggled with self-image for most of her life, I have not been anchored in or invited to biblical texts that speak of my beauty. There's what is shame-full. How different would I feel about myself had I been told, again and again, that the narratives of scripture speak of women as beautiful (vs. sinful)? Even as I type the words I begin to feel different. And I begin to desire SO much more of the same for my daughters, now only 10 and 12.
Again and again I am struck by this Text; not one that harms women but that is our advocate, champion, and redeemer in the face of thousands of history that has harmed, has not advocated, championed, or redeemed through the Text.
Genesis 6 says "beautiful women." Indeed.
When the human population began to grow rapidly on the earth, the sons of God saw the beautiful women of the human race and took any they wanted as their wives. Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, they will live no more than 120 years." In those days, and even afterward, giants lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes mentioned in legends of old.
Much exegesis has surrounded these verses and, understandably, much confusion. I will not attempt to add any more into the mix - exegesis or confusion. Rather, I want to focus again on what the text uncovers for us...but is often left covered.
Beautiful women...
Again, just two chapters out of Eden, this feels significant. Women are not shamed or shame-full creatures still bearing the weight of the first sin - at least not by the Text itself. As in chapter four and five, women are integral, involved, important - and in relationship with God. In addition, they are beautiful.
For me, a woman who has struggled with self-image for most of her life, I have not been anchored in or invited to biblical texts that speak of my beauty. There's what is shame-full. How different would I feel about myself had I been told, again and again, that the narratives of scripture speak of women as beautiful (vs. sinful)? Even as I type the words I begin to feel different. And I begin to desire SO much more of the same for my daughters, now only 10 and 12.
Again and again I am struck by this Text; not one that harms women but that is our advocate, champion, and redeemer in the face of thousands of history that has harmed, has not advocated, championed, or redeemed through the Text.
Genesis 6 says "beautiful women." Indeed.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Generations of Daughters
It is not often I spend a lot of time in genealogy, nor will I today, but there are two things that capture my attention in Genesis 5.
First, verses 1 and 2:
This is the history of the descendants of Adam. When God created people, [they were] made …in the likeness of God. [God] created them male and female, and… blessed them and called them "human."
I find it poignant and beautiful that here, outside the garden, we are reminded of the larger story – a narrative without shame. It is full of hope, promise, blessing. No matter what, we are image bearers of God – men and women. There is no holding on to the past, no grudge or dark stain that accompanies Eve or Adam. The story begins again as it should: grounded in God’s image, God’s creation, God’s blessing. If this were the only thing we took from Scripture we’d be on a path toward far more redemption than most of us have known or been taught.
No matter what story has ensued I reflect God’s image.
I am a creation of God – as a woman.
I am blessed by God.
And if that weren’t enough, secondly, we have verses 3-32: a genealogy from Adam to Noah. Read closer. Nine times this phrase occurs: ...and he had other sons and daughters.
Though genealogy reading hasn't been one of my favorite pastimes, I do know that not many of them mention women. The consistent exception is Matthew 1 where five women are mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, and Mary. Here, though unnamed, every generation of this listing includes daughters. That’s significant.
As the Biblical story continues, now moving quickly from the epic tale of the garden to the epic tale of the flood, we need to see women as integral, included, valued. Too often we see these early chapters, including the flood, as just more tragedy – all begun by Eve. And though I’ve already attempted to establish (at least for myself) that such is not true, having so many women included in chapters 4 and 5 helps me see these texts anew. Even more, it helps me see myself anew – not as one bearing a curse or carrying the weight of the sin of the world (which I'm pretty sure Jesus came to do) – but as one who matters, who is blessed, who reflects the very image of God.
These nine generations of daughters are unnamed but they matter. Thousands of generations of daughters have since lived and died, holding story, bringing forth life, creating, celebrating, loving, suffering, and creating a world that would one day birth me.
I found myself so surprised by Genesis, chapter 4. Chapter 5 has offered me more of the same.
I reflect God’s image.
I am a creation of God – as a woman.
I am blessed by God.
And I come from a long line of women for whom the same realities were true. May I live richly in the gift of that reality, that legacy, that lineage, yes…that genealogy. And may I stay steeped in a post-garden world that seems to be far more beautiful and hopeful than I’ve been told.
First, verses 1 and 2:
This is the history of the descendants of Adam. When God created people, [they were] made …in the likeness of God. [God] created them male and female, and… blessed them and called them "human."
I find it poignant and beautiful that here, outside the garden, we are reminded of the larger story – a narrative without shame. It is full of hope, promise, blessing. No matter what, we are image bearers of God – men and women. There is no holding on to the past, no grudge or dark stain that accompanies Eve or Adam. The story begins again as it should: grounded in God’s image, God’s creation, God’s blessing. If this were the only thing we took from Scripture we’d be on a path toward far more redemption than most of us have known or been taught.
No matter what story has ensued I reflect God’s image.
I am a creation of God – as a woman.
I am blessed by God.
And if that weren’t enough, secondly, we have verses 3-32: a genealogy from Adam to Noah. Read closer. Nine times this phrase occurs: ...and he had other sons and daughters.
Though genealogy reading hasn't been one of my favorite pastimes, I do know that not many of them mention women. The consistent exception is Matthew 1 where five women are mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, and Mary. Here, though unnamed, every generation of this listing includes daughters. That’s significant.
As the Biblical story continues, now moving quickly from the epic tale of the garden to the epic tale of the flood, we need to see women as integral, included, valued. Too often we see these early chapters, including the flood, as just more tragedy – all begun by Eve. And though I’ve already attempted to establish (at least for myself) that such is not true, having so many women included in chapters 4 and 5 helps me see these texts anew. Even more, it helps me see myself anew – not as one bearing a curse or carrying the weight of the sin of the world (which I'm pretty sure Jesus came to do) – but as one who matters, who is blessed, who reflects the very image of God.
These nine generations of daughters are unnamed but they matter. Thousands of generations of daughters have since lived and died, holding story, bringing forth life, creating, celebrating, loving, suffering, and creating a world that would one day birth me.
I found myself so surprised by Genesis, chapter 4. Chapter 5 has offered me more of the same.
I reflect God’s image.
I am a creation of God – as a woman.
I am blessed by God.
And I come from a long line of women for whom the same realities were true. May I live richly in the gift of that reality, that legacy, that lineage, yes…that genealogy. And may I stay steeped in a post-garden world that seems to be far more beautiful and hopeful than I’ve been told.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
