Friday, May 28, 2010

The War Against Women....Missional Dignity

I find it interesting and somewhat amusing that as a man I am writing about the war again women, but this is something that has been on my heart for quite awhile now.

I start this post with a true story from the book, 'Nurturing the Nations;
Reclaiming the Dignity of Women in Building Healthy Cultures'. The story goes:

A radio preacher was talking about Christian marriage, pondering the meaning of Genesis 2:24: “And they will become one flesh.” The preacher asked, “How can the two become one?” After a moment, he answered his own question: “Only if the woman becomes a zero. One plus zero equals one!” A feeling of revulsion whelmed up from the core of my being. How could any Christian so diminish the wonder of a woman made in the image of God?

Tragically, this is the reality of our world and especially in developing cultures. One case in point is in Indonesia:

"My scar healed quite fast, but the sad, humiliated feeling stayed. I feel like I'm no longer complete, both as a person and a woman."
That is the testimony of Christina Sagat, a 32-year-old Christian from Kasiui, Indonesia, who was forcibly circumcised by her Muslim neighbors. Unfortunately, as traumatic as her story sounds, hundreds of women have endured similar oppression.
"My niece, Cecilia, who at that time was eight months pregnant, was also circumcised," Sagat said. "My mother, who was in her 70s, was also circumcised. Teenagers, and even infants, were circumcised. I don't understand these people."

Another comes from Afghanistan in this video:



I could go on and on with horror stories from around the globe and here in the US, but the question is this; what do we do with this? How do I take this in and actually do more with it than just feel bad about what is happening?

In our call from God, he says clearly in His Word;
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. Is. 61

So, let's do just that.
For some great resource on how to respond to this need;

1- Click on the book cover for a free eBook of Nurturing the Nations "As a woman, it is so encouraging to read this confirmation of the precious roles of a woman in the Bible; not just taking care of her family and children, but nurturing the next generation of each nation, and even the world!", and

2- click HERE for a free Podcast on the plight of Muslim women and how to live missional lives among them.


Enjoy the book and Podcast, and let's pray and determine to live out the Scripture in light of the war against women.

1 comment:

  1. While riding a bus in India, I noticed that the husband was in the front of the bus in a comfortable seat with another man. The wife was farther back in the bus in a very uncomfortable place and out of the air conditioning. I offered to change seats with her and she graciously declined. "But", I said, "my place is much more comfortable." She replied, "It isn't my lot in life to be concerned about comfort."

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