I am traveling the world with 3 women. In our squad, there are 3 other all women teams. We don’t get the luxury of having a man negotiate prices or stand between us and creepy men. We trust that the Lord is with us and do our best. And lately, for some of our teams, it hasn’t been turning out in our benefit.
So what do we do when you can clearly read what a man is thinking about by how he’s looking at you? Or when transportation tries to charge you WAYYYY over what it actually costs? Or when people lie and misguide you? Or try to take advantage of the fact that you are a woman in a foreign country and don’t really know what’s going on?
We have the right to get upset and lump the men together in negative ways. We have the right to not want to deal with the people again. We have a right to be upset and hurt and pissed. But just because we have that right, does that mean we should take it?
He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Wen Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of the struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. – Luke 22: 47-51
Jesus’ disciples had every right to fight to protect their leader. They were doing what was normal and expected. Jesus also could have saved himself from them, his betraying friend, and a humiliating and painful death. But he didn’t.
He healed the people who were coming to kill him. He forgave the people who brought him to death. He didn’t condemn the crowd of people yelling at him. Nope, he loved them. He died for them. And he asked us, as followers of Him, to do the same.
Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. – Romans 6:13
We have to follow his example and live our lives how he lived his, loving those who hated him, blessing those who cursed him, and praying for those who betrayed him. It’s easy to do that with big, grand offenses, but it’s the little ones we always seem to get tripped up on. It’s the gossip or the gross look or the sarcastic joke that make us want to fight back.
And our swords aren’t made of metal. They don’t come in the form of something that cuts through the body. It comes in the form of stereotypes (All men are like that. All men are pigs). It comes in the form of gossip and slander (They are the worst. They did this and that and this.) It comes in the form of hardening our hearts towards the very people God has called us to love.
Hurts and offenses and inequities are real. And they aren’t ok. But we, as followers of a man who died a shameful death for us, we have to choose to respond differently. We have to choose love every time. We have to extend grace and keep our hearts open to the world because love is dying, and Jesus is the only one who can bring it back. And he needs us.
So when the catcalls come and the men try to jack up the price at the bus stop or the mechanics, choose to shine Jesus and walk it out with love. Do not let yourself get walked over, but figure out how to let God have control over that moment. Don’t let bitterness and stereotypes grow in your heart. Because if you do, then you miss the kindness from the man on the train that gives you the right directions or the host that stays up to make sure you get home safely.
Keep your heart soft, family. The world needs you. Especially when the men are pigs and cheats.
