If perhaps I have been a little hard on my brothers on the Race, it came from a place of expecting the worst from them. Not really their fault, but the fault of my own imagination. I have seen my friends get their hearts ripped out by “good Christian men.” I have seen Christian men manipulate the word of God to get what they wanted from my sisters. I have seen them belittle women because we “should be quiet in the church.” I have seen them pressure women into marriage, and brush aside legitimate feelings and reservations.
This is not what I have experienced from my brothers on the Race.
I call them brothers because we live in the same house. I call them brothers because they sweep the floor in the kitchen and wash everyone’s dishes when it’s their turn to do so. I call them brothers because they share one shower room with 15 women (the distinction must be made between shower room and bathroom this month – we have one bathtub sans showerhead and one sink between 16 people; our toilets are two port-a-potties in our backyard). I call these men of God brothers because two of them thought we might get salmonella from where we placed the sponges we wash our dishes with, so they placed them in a safe place– away from being subject to chicken (and other various livestock) poop. I call them brothers because they have fought for me, listened to me cry, and have given me fantastic, biblical advice. I call them brothers because they carry my pack when I am sick. I call them brothers because once, when a fellow teammate broke her shoe, they rotated carrying her piggyback for the better part of a mile so she wouldn’t burn her feet on the pavement. I call them brothers because they offer to wash our clothes for us. I call them brothers because they are more than worthy of that title.
In all of this, and more, my view of Christian men has been ridiculously challenged. I have learned that Christian men are NOT just good guys. They are passionate about issues that break God’s heart. They are strong and courageous. They make mistakes frequently, especially when it comes to communicating with and showing love to their sisters, but they make incredible comebacks, too. They love unapologetically, with hands extended, ready to serve. They love like Jesus. And man, that really changes the way you look at men. You stop looking at all men like they are perpetrators of the hurts you’ve experienced, and start looking at them for their status as sons of God.
These men, my brothers, are worthy of my affection, prayers, and encouragement.
For Jeff, Greg, and Luke (my three immediate brothers):
Thank you. Thank you for fighting with and for me.
Hefe – Thank you for letting me wake you up at midnight when I was crying and felt distant from the team. Thank you for holding me accountable to share my feelings and making sure I knew they were valid and would not be undermined by logic.
Gerg– Thank you for sharing my vision for the gospel. Thank you for encouraging me to focus on introspection and growth. Thank you for always challenging my view of Jesus.
Luka – Thank you for all of the kind things you do for the women of our team and our squad. Thank you for letting us know you’re on our side. Thank you for listening when my words have been frustrating and brittle. And thanks for painting my toenails.
And for Ray, Lincoln, James, Seth, Kyle, Clay, and Davis (my extended brothers):
Ray Bay Bay – Thank you for your insight. Thank you for the way you see into situations and into people. Thank you for being responsible to bring those to the light. And thanks for taking it in stride when I make fun of your fake Southern accent.
Link-a-roo – Thank you for the way you communicate with others. Your stories and the animated way you tell them are absolutely fantastic. Thank you for allowing God to mold and shape you so that you can call out the ways he is molding and shaping the squad.
Jamers– Thanks for learning to knock on doors before you open them (ha). Thank you for possessing a quiet (and sometimes actually quite loud) strength. Thank you for your humor and for leading the squad in worship with humility and grace. Thanks, also, for your sense of humor.
Sethery – It pains me to say this, almost, but thank you for being the exact opposite of me. It pissed me off a lot in the beginning, but now I know it has caused me to grow: in understanding myself, in understanding others, and in looking at situations differently. Thank you for calling out in me what does not reflect Jesus Christ, and for doing it gently (most of the time).
Ky-Le (Keelay)– Thank you for rolling with things easily and graciously. Thank you for setting a standard of grace with our initial contacts in each country. Thank you for carrying my keyboard all over Costa Rica.
Palmer– I realize this is not a nickname, but part of your actual name, and in that I feel you have kind of been cheated in this blog post. But since you go by Clay, I guess it sort of counts, yeah? Anyway, thank you for being willing to do anything for your sisters. Thank you for having a heart for people everywhere and encouraging others to grow in their compassion for all the people of the world.
D– Thank you for being my brother always. I know we will always fundamentally disagree on rap (I will still like it no matter your arguments against it), calling every soda a coke, and New York City, but I know I can rely on you to be there for me in any circumstance. Thank you for the many long discussions about our respective futures and the times when you have encouraged and challenged my faith.
Brothers,
Thank you for the way you respect and revere womanhood as a reflection of God.
You are a blessing to me and to your other 35 sisters.
We love you and are honored to serve alongside you.
Thank you so much,
Sarah
