There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female…
16 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Life
for you are all one in Christ Jesus
So a friend asked me about a Christian author, she was reading a book he had written, and I made the comment that I generally like what he writes but I struggle because he doesn’t believe women should be elders in church. I qualified that he still had some good things to say…wanting to be gracious as I was taught to be! I was really humbled and challenged by what she said next (paraphrasing) ‘We wouldn’t do that with any other kind of discrimination. If the person believed people of color should not be elders we would discard everything else they have to say even if it was accurate.’ Most people would be…I am not giving that person any money even if they have good things to say. We would recognize the injustice that is inherent in being racist. Why do we…why do I accept teaching from someone who thinks I am incapable of eldering a church because of my sex!?!? It makes no sense. I am not saying they don’t have wise and good things to say…they likely do but why would I give them money and profit when I can likely get the same good stuff from author’s and leaders that do believe in Gal. 3:28! If it is God’s will that we be on earth as it is in heaven and in heaven we are equal than why would we not be working towards, demanding equity here on earth ESPECIALLY within the institution that represents God here on earth…The Church?
I am not sure how this will play out for me…I already know of several authors that I LOVE that would be excluded from my list. Chances are this won’t become a black/white issue for me but I will be taking it into consideration if I am going to let someone influence me. One author in particular comes to mind, Henri Nouwen, being that he was a catholic priest he likely had views about women in the church that I would disagree with, maybe not though since he was a “in the closet” gay man in the church. Which is why I believe he speaks to my heart so intimately…he knows the pain of being on the “outside” while being on the “inside”…such a painful space to live in. Yet, he presses in towards the ONE who is the definition of LOVE…Jesus and his imperfect church.
I realize I must see that we are all a work in progress, mercy and grace abounds in a community of Jesus, but I also realize that there are lines I need to and will draw.
Ultimately, I hear God telling me the things I need to work on and validating many of the things I know/feel. I do not feel conflict anymore about being an elder and there is a STRONG hermeneutic that supports my feelings. I will make an effort to live a congruent life which includes reading somethings and not reading others.
