Believe in the power of . . . patriarchy?
Credit: by Gert http://www.flickr.com/people/gertvr/
The week before Christmas I attended a local church – an extremely large one, known for its very conservative and traditional value set. I walked into the sanctuary and was handed a postcard which on it said “Believe in the Power of Family,” outlined with pretty snowflakes on a red background. It was one of the more bizarre Christmas messages I have ever encountered.
The traditional heterosexual nuclear family was very clearly important to this congregation’s value set. I squirmed a bit in my seat while listening to a sermon on the importance of family, hearing praise and prayer reports for family issues, and at the end of the service all of us were handed a Christmas card from the Pastor, with two pictures, both of he with his families at two heterosexual family weddings throughout the year.
The message here was loud and clear, and also very odd. Whose power are we supposed to believe in? I had always thought it was to be God’s. But maybe, in this church, these are one and the same.
In stark contrast, allow me to direct you to my most favorite Christmas-related article of all time. It is by Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, and it is entitled The Importance of Mary’s Virginity.
Check out this excerpt:
We might describe the story of Mary as a powerful rejection of patriarchal family systems and imperial powers that oppress everyone subject to them. By blessing her and trusting her with the Spirit in human flesh, God challenges the rich, proud, and haughty, which means those who love her story and follow Jesus ought to be doing the same.
This excerpt, this article, always brings a little excited chill to my very bones and makes me want to shout from the rooftops. There is so much richness to Mary’s story that is often overlooked this time of year, in lieu of a message of a subservient, agreeable, mostly silent female vessel. In contrary, Mary’s actions and her song recorded in the Gospel of Luke makes very clear her strength, her strong and active faith, and her concern for justice and the abuses of power.
Believe. But when you do, do not believe in the power of social structures, of patriarchy, of little boxes to fit into. Believe instead in the power of the divine, in the power of resistance and courageous acts of strong hearts, and in our continued pursuit of a just and equitable world.
Happy Decembermas.
Bre is Geez Magazine’s Director of Editorial Other.
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