Okay, so I'm not usually a person that harps on sexism, mostly because I am so dead sick of hearing about it. If you don't like the way you're being treated, do something about it! You're not a gerbil, you CAN change locations. Get a new job, a new school, a new church, anything to keep us from hearing you whine about how the boys won't let you into their club. I'm also tired of hearing men being trashed. There are a lot of good guys out there that get NO credit whatsoever. So here is is; Fellas, on behalf of the female population that is too busy asphyxiating on hair dye to say it--thank you. Thank you for every time you were chivalrous instead of being condescending, respectful and considerate, for every hormone-induced insult you let go for the sake of keeping the peace. I won't apologize for the female gender, because we've got our own list of crap that we have to deal with, but I will thank the men who have the guts to step up and be men.
That being said, I gotta tell you, there are guys out there who are undoing all your handiwork.
Last week, I had a very long, difficult friday. Without going into too much detail, and thanking God for the day not being any worse (as it could have been), let me say that there was a mechanic that sorely challenged my already shortened fuse. For those of you not familiar with the saga that is my car's engine, let me summarize by saying that in February, I spent about 4 grand to have my transmission replaced. In retrospect, I should have just tried to sell it....but anyway. So a couple of weeks ago it breaks down again. Not knowing what was wrong with it and hoping for something simple, I had it towed to a local shop in Crowley. I recieved a call on Friday that went like this:
Me: Hello?
Car Dude: Hi, this is (name deleted) from (business deleted). Um...which car was yours again?
Me: (okay, so you totally called ME, I would hope you know what's going on a LITTLE better than that, but hey, there's an orange pollution alert today, maybe your brain's a little smoke-cured) Uh, the '03 VUE.
Car Dude: Oh, right. Your transmission's shot. Hang on a second.
Me: (sweating bullets and ticked from being on the phone with homeboy talking to someone about what kind of pizza to order for literally ten minutes, and finally getting cut off. The guy calls back and offers no apology) So, what's wrong with the transmission, now?
Car Dude: Uh, it's BROKEN. It needs to be FIXED. (raising his voice in a frustrated tone in offense that a mere woman would presume to know anything about something as manly and mysterious as a car transmission)
Me: .......excuse me?
Car Dude: (Loud sigh. looks like this broad is particularly dumb) It's an I-N-T-E-R-N-A-L problem. Do you HAVE a warranty on it?
Me: (Ohnoyadidn't) Yep. I have a warranty with someone else. I'll have it towed outta there. *click*
Did I mention I was PMSing too? Anyhow, the general concensus from my parents was that there's no excuse for acting like that, but mechanics are mechanics and I probably should have had a guy deal with them...not because I wasn't capable of dealing, but because mechanics like to play with power tools and power trips. Point taken. I had the illustrious Dave deal with the dude. Dave said he was nice. That's because chauvanists don't have a problem with other guys, just the women that are rude enough to occupy the non-kitchen space in their worlds.
ANYway. It got me to thinking about the battle of the sexes, in all its ridiculous, unloving, unspiritual glory.
You can't claim to love the Lord and accept Scripture in its entirety without admitting tha tmen have a different role from women. All it takes is a simple look at the life of Jesus.
D.J. Kennedy, author of "What if Jesus had Never Been Born?" and Mark Driscoll in "Vintage Jesus" both point out that the life and teachings of Jesus elevated women from property (like cattle) to citizens. He taught men and women alike as equals, and the disciples continued His work. On fact, the verse in ITimothy 3 so often quoted by the pious gasbags that don't want a woman in the pulpit is usually quoted incompletely. The passage reads in detail about the life of a Deacon and how it should mirror Christ. Paul says that the deacon is to be the husband of but one wife. Totally lame way to defend your little boy's only club, right? It's made worse by the fact that every translation except KJV go on to say, "The deaconesses, likewise...." I Timothy 3:11. There are several other verses that indicate women in positions of leadership in the church. This was a change fro the polytheistic temples that required women in positions of power to also prostitute their bodies like some mythological burlesque show. "And now, presenting Zeus and the Toga Tarts! Popcorn is now on sale in our lobby."
In fact, Paul writes a passage dedicated to the retraining of such women to be LADIES, respectable and appropriate by any and all standards in that time period (I Corinthians 14:34)
All this to say that yes, Jesus had a special place in His heart for women, especially women who have been exhausted by a world that refuses to allow them to behave as ladies.
Another source of great comfort to me is that Jesus understands PMS. Take a look at the story in Luke 10. You can't tell me that fit Martha threw wasn't originated in hormones! I mean, here is a grown woman, by all other rights respectable and mature, WHINING to Jesus! "Blubber, wah, Jesus, make Mary help me! It's not FAIR! *foot stomp, sniffle*" Every woman alive has immense sympathy for moments like that, nods her head, and says "Yep, my uterus hates me too."
But check out how Jesus acts. He's firm, but so sympathetic and tender. He basically tells her "You could be doing this too. I wouldn't mind, and I think it would make you feel better." Scripture doesn't record it, but I bet at that point Martha popped some Midol, grabbed a heating pad, and plunked down beside her sister to listen to Jesus. Talk about conflict resolution!
Jesus treated women with special tenderness. He still does. Men have a hard job, but women do too. Guys, be patient with us. Its' going to take a lot of work from real men of God before we can relax and be the Grace-filled ladiea we were commanded to be.
Also, men and women use different weapons in the hatful, unscriptural battle between the sexes.
The weapons of men are terrifying to women. Between a tendency toward verbal domineering and the very real possibility of inflicting physical harm, it's a wonder all women don't carry guns. But there is also the matter of the man who breeds false emotional closeness and the misguided feeling of security in a woman. The purpose of this is no more than to obtain what they want, be it servitude, a feeling of superiority, or plain old-fashioned sex. A woman will do almost anything to feel wanted. Men know this, and some of them use this knowledge in the most despicable way possible.
Girls, we're not exempt either. Read the story of Adam and Eve, or Samson and Delilah. Women are manipulators, through and through. We will cheat and connive and nag until we get what we want. Any man will tell you that there is nothing, absolutely NOTHING worse than a nagging woman. Every man alive instantly understands the parable of the persistant widow. This jerk judge finally tears his hair out and says "Agh! Okay! Anything you want! Yes dear! Just SHUT UP!"
But our gender's manipulations can take a more sinister turn, as in the case of a woman purposely getting pregnant or faking a pregnancy to rope down a man that's not terribly interested in her, or women that fly into crying hysterics when they are confronted about inappropriate behavior that needs to be remedied in their lives. These methods of manipulation are just as disgusting, just as vile, as the man who bullies and belittles his wife. I have seen women tear men's lives to shreds using these methods of getting what they want, efficiently and remorselessly, then move on to the next victim.
What is my basic point in this very long-winded post, aside from the fact that PEOPLE ARE CRAZY (which is an ongoing theme in this blog)?
Beware the power you have, man.
Beware the power you have, woman.
We will all have to answer for the abuse of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment