Archive for the ‘gender’ Category

The 1st Diversity: Reading for Women’s History Month

Posted: March 5, 2013 in African American, bible, change, church, culture, faith, gender, justice, sex, spirituality
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God loves diversity. From the very beginning of the Hebrew scriptures we can see diversity in action. According to the Biblical text, creation begins with difference: light and darkness, water and dry land, greater light and lesser light. Fish, birds, beasts, and creeping things reproduce after their different kinds. At the apex of creation stands humanity and the very tip of the apex is woman. Instead of making us asexual borglike robots he stamps us with difference: male and female. This is the first human diversity and all other diversity pales in comparison. Man and woman are different.

These differences govern not only how our body functions but they also give us different experiences and outlooks. There is nothing that shapes and defines us in the core of our being more than our sexuality. The fact of whether on an application or form we write an “m” or an “f” next to the word sex speaks volumes on how we approach life and see the world around us. It is more than just biology. Because of this biology we acquire a different psyche, a different perspective. This biology has over thousands of years given rise to certain roles and ways of relating in our society and culture. Irregardless of whether the society or culture conditions us to act in these ways the biology was there first and gave birth to it. The first instance of diversity set us on a trajectory that has been adventurous, exciting, and….full of conflict. Patriarchy, misogyny, polygamy, female mutilation, pornography and a whole host of other evils has sprung from the fact that men and women are different and need reconciliation. For the most part is has been men who have initiated the oppression and violence against women and this is something that still needs to be remedied even in our modern times of women’s liberation.

As an advocate for diversity I seek to be an advocate of women. This month is women’s history month and to honor that I will be exploring the perspectives of women through reading from the vantage point of my two prominent identities as black and Christian. The books on my list are:

Women, leaders, and the church by Linda L. Belleville
The Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
Words on Fire: An Anthology of African American Feminist Thought by Beverly Guy-Sheftall
The Word According to Eve by Cullen Murphy (Male author but a survey of women scholars involved in Biblical studies)
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I am already knee deep in a couple of these and they are already readjusting my lens and perspective. Do you have any other suggestions?

Asking hard questions about same sex marriage

Posted: May 16, 2012 in culture, faith, gender, justice, sex, spirituality
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Same sex marriage. Hmmm…..So I resisted approaching this topic for a while. I was hesitant to write about it in a public form not just because it’s controversial (it definitely is) but more because I have not truly come to a fully articulated stance concerning the issue and also because it is so complex. Most people approach it only from a spiritual or political perspective when it actually touches on both areas. It definitely needs a more nuanced perspective than “It’s wrong” or “because the Bible says so” or “as long as two people are happy”.

So instead of posting my hardened conviction I would rather ask you to join me in asking the hard questions. I also must say that these questions are not exhaustive and may actually provoke more questions. So let’s dive in……

Biblical

From a Biblical standpoint I do not want to ask what scripture says of homosexual practice but what scripture calls us as believers to in regards to political power, the church’s relationship with the outside world, and the church’s calling. Here are some questions I have been asking:

Did Jesus address homosexual behavior or identity in the gospels?

How did Paul address homosexuality within the Roman Empire?

Would Jesus or Paul focus on the definition of marriage for the wider society?

Political

One missing dimension from the Christian side of the debate is the political.

Have we considered the type of government we have and what that entails when it comes to this issue?

How should we vote and think about this issue in a secular democracy (contrary to popular belief we are not a “Christian nation” whatever that means)?

Since we are a secular democracy what can we expect from our president, congressmen, and supreme court judges on this matter?

Historical

We also need to be asking how history plays a role in this.

Has the church ever attempted to legislate morality? What were the results?

Have we always historically owned the right to define and perform marriages in the public square?

How do the lessons from the civil rights movement influence our decisions on same sex marriage?

Practical /Experiential

Finally there is the praxis or the things that grab us on an experience level.

What do we say to those who identify as homosexual?

What will it do to our witness as the church if we ignore the issue?

What will it do to our witness if we denounce same sex unions?

What will it do to our witness if we endorse same sex unions?

I think that one of the things I constantly fail at as a follower of Jesus is listening and asking questions (things that were consistently practiced by Jesus). I personally believe that Obama’s recent endorsement of same sex marriage has provoked a lot of knee jerk reactions and not enough prayer and wisdom. For those who are followers of Jesus I ask that you join me in wrestling and seeking God’s will in relation to this issue.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)

Any questions that you would like to add?

Jesus loves the ratchet!

Posted: May 8, 2012 in culture, gender, justice, personal, Race, spirituality
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I have been noticing something in myself lately. In so many ways I am judgmental. On an everyday basis I judge people. Sometimes it’s who they are. Sometimes it’s their actions. Sometimes it’s both.

Recently I’ve noticed a trend in social media of sharing videos of girls in the hood fighting and beating on one another. When I first noticed one of these videos in my newsfeed I immediately wanted to watch it and I almost did except I did not want to sign up for another fb application (that’s a whole other blog post). After I skipped watching the video I noticed two things about myself in that moment:

1) I was so in need of a cheap laugh that I was going to watch two girls fighting on home video

2) Secretly I thought “I am better than those girls. So glad that I am not like them or hang with people like them.”

Immediately I was convicted. I began to see how my use of terms like skank, hood rat, ghetto, tacky, and the new one “ratchet” were full of judgment, self righteousness, and hypocrisy. I began to see that my passing along and sharing pictures that humiliated those living in poverty was Pharasaical and proud.

The new word is “ratchet” and while we may laugh at young women who are labeled “ratchet” and talk about those who wear prom dresses that are ratchet I wonder who Jesus would hang out with if he were on earth today?

Echoes of that same phrase “So glad that I am not like them or hang with people like them” were on the lips of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12:

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ (Luke 18:11, 12 ESV)

The opposite prayer is spoken by the tax collector. If the Jews of 1st century Palestinr considered anyone to be “ratchet” it was these guys. They were looked down on as collaborators with the Roman empire, cheats, thieves, and even murderers.

The tax collector in Luke 18:13-14:

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14 ESV)

Jesus chose to hang with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners. We choose to hold them in contempt and use them for a cheap laugh. The truth is many of us who are Christians and aligned with the establishment would have been passed up by Jesus. He would have passed us up in favor of the ghetto, the tacky, the ratchet. He would have been right at home with those who “have no hometrainin and can’t get themselves together”. Why? Jesus was labeled as well. What do you think Nathaniel meant by the question “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 ESV)

So before you click on that video or website for a cheap thrill or momentary feeling of superiority remember this: Jesus loves the ratchet!

How do you fight an ism?

Posted: May 2, 2012 in culture, faith, gender, justice, materialism, militarism, Race, racism, spirituality
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I am going to be doing something a bit different here in the next couple of weeks. One of the advantages of the Internet is that not only can you give voice to your own thoughts and opinions for millions to view but it also gives you the opportunity to connect to other voices which you may be geographically separated from. Throughout this month I will be exploring the topic of racism through the guest posts of some fellow bloggers who I have connected with over the last few years. I chose them because they are thoughtful and intelligent and they come from a different backgrounds than myself: They are all European American. I did this intentionally in order to give voice to those who have the option to avoid the topic but instead dive into it with wisdom, humility, and solidarity.

The second reason I chose them is because of a problem that I have been seeking to untangle. I have heard a lot of people say that racism is over and since MLK Jr. marched and Obama is president we should leave it in the past. I think the problem with this line of thought is that it ignores the power of an “ism”. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life fighting against racism, classism, and materialism. That’s so much bigger than getting to sit anywhere you want on a bus or at a restaurant. As I have said in earlier posts the problem with “isms” is that they take on a life of their own. They are much more powerful and pervasive than the spaces they inhabit. Kind of reminds me of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church where he writes:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

I believe that these “isms” are spiritual forces and if that is the case we need to know how to fight it and we also need to know when we have actually won. Take racism for instance:

It’s everywhere. From our political bumper stickers to our
hockey to our movies . Racism is all around us.

It’s institutionalized. It’s not just in people’s hearts. It is very much a part of our institutions. This country was built on it and many (like my First Nation brothers and sisters) are still paying the price.

So many questions come to mind when we think of engaging racism:

Does developing personal relationships change it? Some would say that it doesn’t matter if you can say “some of my best friends are black”

Does regulating institutions change it? We have “regulated” everything but people’s hearts.

Where do we go from here?

I believe the first thing that we need to be aware of is the power of words. The words we use in our everyday speech carry the power of racism. Let’s just take the word ghetto for example. It once was used for the enclosed neighborhoods primarily resided in by Jews. Then it morphed to be a noun used for the inner city, crime ridden, impoverished areas inhabited by African Americans. Somewhere along the way this noun became not only an adjective but a negative adjective.

For example:


“That’s so ghetto”

“He drives a ghetto-$&@!? car”

“You know you ghetto when…”

It has become a negative adjective associated with an aspect of African American life and culture. How do you think it affects the minds of young kids growing up in the hood who use this word to describe thugs negatively? How do you think using this word shapes the minds of people from other ethnicities? This is the power of words.

In the next few weeks I will feature guest posts that attempt to define racism in the 21st century. I don’t know how to fight an “ism” but I believe this is a good place to start.

How I found freedom from pornography

Posted: March 15, 2012 in advice/how to, culture, faith, gender, justice, overcoming obstacles, personal, personal development, sex, spirituality
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This post is dedicated to all the beautiful women who have helped me to be the man I am today; who loved me beyond what their natural eyes could see. Celebrating Women’s History Month.

It started in grade school. Just a peek through supposedly closed eyes into the lurid details of a Hollywood sex scene. No harm right (Wrong!)Boys will be boys. But wait…after several more peeks and several years later friends are bringing magazines to school and I am shocked and seduced into looking at men and women reveal something intended to be private for the public. Not just once but multiple times. My curiosity drove me to look again and again but it provoked no appetite to know the reasons a young woman would bare her body in a magazine for a gawking lust filled strangers to see.

Years after I would struggle with the enticement to view not only women’s bodies but women’s bodies performing as objects for men’s twisted fantasies. And this is the saddest part about porn and what makes it essentially vile and wrong is that it turns a woman into an object. Never in all of those times that pornography lured and enthralled me did I think: this woman on this page…on this screen…is a person. A person with emotions and intellect; joys and fears. And ultimately not only did I dehumanize her but I dehumanized myself. By seeing her as an object I limited my capacity to love. I began to see not just women but all people in terms of what they could give me. In short my ability to connect relationally was seriously short circuited.

Objectifying women is not limited to only the sexual. I realized how much this thought pattern had invaded my mind even more so once I got married. To see my wife as an object-sexual, emotional, domestic-and not as a person is a result of years of emotional detachment and wallowing in a pit of selfishness.

Many times I tried to quit cold turkey and through sheer willpower to resist the temptations to look at porn but there was no breakthrough until one night while reading my bible I realized this: it’s not about resisting temptation as much as it’s about loving your neighbor. Basic stuff right but most of the time this teaching-this mandate from Christ is often excluded from our sexuality. This is how it works in my own life. Every woman I come in contact with (whether offline, on screen, or online) is my neighbor for whom Christ died. Do to others what you want to be done to you. Every woman who is involved in pornography is somebody’s daughter. I know I don’t want people to treat my daughter as a sexual object.

It’s not just about the practice of viewing pornography. It’s about the objectification of women. Both sins of commission because one huge sin of omission: not loving. Basic but it really is about love and love can free you from anything.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40 ESV)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7, 8 ESV)