Feminism. The radical idea men and women were created equally so they should be treated equally.
In some circles that word carries more negativity than the actual F word. Since starting the race feminism has increased in depth and meaning for me.
I currently live in eSwatini, Africa where for the first time I am experiencing life as an outsider and a minority. The locals have the beautiful skin color of dark coffee and well I have the complexion of wonder bread so I stick out, really my whole team sticks out. We get hit on, proposed to, asked to join strange men in cars, and quite frankly objectified. Our differences in appearance make us desirable to the men. Yep, just our differences. Not our brilliance, our servanthood, or our character. Literally just the color of our skin and the gender given to us at birth.
And my friends at home reading this, we are no better. Every time a woman gets catcalled, a firm no is mistaken for an invitation, or woman’s experience is mistaken for a flimsy opinion we lose. And by we I don’t mean women. I mean the whole world. I’m on the other side of the planet and I’m watching women change the world EVERYWHERE. I’m watching women start nonprofits to feed kids, run ones to protect women, disciple kids into followers of Christ, and abandon comfort to pursue God’s heart for the unchurched. The ladies I know are fierce, bold, brave, and worthy. It’s getting exhausting being the only one shouting it.
The stark difference in how men view and treat us and how Jesus treated women has me thinking, was Jesus a feminist?
And Jesus knew that and He lived that. A woman was about to be killed for adultery and He chose an intimate moment instead of condemnation. He wrote to her in the sand, a note so personal we don’t know what it says. When a woman got “overly emotional” and cried He joined her and “Jesus wept”. Time and time again Jesus flipped the script on what men of His day did, especially with women.
Men here and at home call us things that aren’t our names. They call us honey, sweetie, hot thing, pretty thing, and other things not worth writing. And you know what Jesus calls the women He interacts with? Daughter. He calls us according to the status given to us by a relationship with Him.
So, was Jesus a feminist? I think so. All I really know for sure is that He cherishes me and for me that’s all I need to know.
With love,
Soph
