Women's Issues Part I and Part II

Part I: The Heart of the Issue- Christ

Women’s issues were at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. He cared for the aged, the widow, the down-and-outer. He loved the prostitute, the divorcee, the sick and the chronically infirm. His love knew no bounds. So, before there were ever feminists, womanists, or any such nomenclature, Jesus loved women and at the heart of his ministry was a deep concern for women’s position and treatment in His society.

On one particular day, He raised from the dead the son of a widow. Knowing that she would have no one to support her financially, He broke Hallach ( law and tradition) and raised the boy from the dead. Then he went on to heal a woman who had a chronic bleeding problem. Having suffered for over twenty years from anemia, I understand her distress.  My anemia was so severe that it mandated surgery because my body was filled with tumors. So, I can only imagine the extent of her suffering.

After healing this woman, Jesus does not take a rest; He tends to a little girl, Jarius’ daughter. Age is no barrier for Him. He valued children, and not just boy children, as we often see happening in places like China and India. No, he rebuked his disciples, and made an incredible announcement when He told them that they must become like children or they would not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The plain fact of the matter is that Jesus was indignant of his disciples’ disrespect and devaluation of children. He told said that it would be better for an abuser to have not been born or have a milestone tied around his neck and thrown into the sea, than to hurt one of these little ones, and he did not specify gender. Their angels, He said, see God’s face in heaven.

Unlike people, Jesus was never in a hurry, too busy to look one in the eye and stop and chat. He dealt completely with the woman with the issue of blood before heading off to heal Jarius’ daughter. He made sure that all of her needs were met and satisfied.  Then and only then, after making sure she knew that she was both seen and heard, did He move on to touch another life- this time a girl child.

 Part II True Satisfaction of the Right Sort

Satisfaction is exactly what the woman was looking for at the well. She was thirsty and well she knew it. But, she didn’t know what would really satisfy. That is until she meet Jesus and He offered living springs of water, true worship, a new identity, and a calling as an evangelist. He restored her dignity, gave her purpose, and connected her in the most meaningful way back into her community all over a cup of water. Jesus truly is a mighty tall drink.

Women bound by addiction did not turn Jesus off. Whether they were mentally ill, sexually avarice, or tormented by demons, He touched them in all the right places for healing.

I know someone is already asking, “What about the Syro-Phoenician woman who Jesus compared to a dog?” I think Jesus wanted to teach his disciples a lesson, and He knew a persistent woman fighting on the behalf child would provide it. When the woman was undeterred, He grants her request and turned to the Jews to marvel at the faith of a Gentile when His own people did not believe.

Jesus strikes this cord again when He tells his disciples that should pray always and never give up. Who does He take as his example? A woman seeking justice for her child. Jesus trusts us to speak up on behalf of our children. He assigns us these roles. When he tells the parable of the man who goes to borrow bread from his friend, the man makes all types of excuse: his feet are dirty, his in bed with his kids, etc. Yawn. Yawn. If not for the beating on the door, the man would have soon as not responded to his friend. But not the women seeking justice for her child, even the fact that the judge feared neither God nor man could dissuade her from pleading her case and again.

We women have more in us than we give ourselves credit for possessing. Jesus knows us best because He is our creator.


Proudly a Woman,
MJ

Resurrection from the Dead

I never thought of myself as person who could or would do miracles, especially raising someone from the grave. But, that is exactly what I have been called to do. I wonder if even Y'Shua experienced a bit of angst when he was called to Jairus' home. There were a lot of people with some heavy expectations. The air was weighty with suspense. Could He? Would He even dare to raise this dead child of the synagogue leader?

Here is how the story  played out:  While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat (Mark 5:35-43).

Just like Y'Shua, I was in the middle of my day just living when a crisis of monumental proportions hit. Things were going well for me and Y'Shua. He had just came off the miraculous healing of a women with a bleeding issue for 14 years. In my case, I was the educator of the year and nominated for various awards, when bam, God says sell everything and start over. Leave your home and family all that you have known and builds schools for girls. When you hear this kind of pronouncement you want to make sure it is really God.

Y'Shua had not come for a show, so He simply put the people out of doors and began speaking to the child. Then He grabbed her hand and lifted her from death to life. 
He is asking me to do the same thing. No grand promotion or show, simply call the dead to life in  African girls -girls who have been traumatized beyond belief, abused by kin and foe, but somehow hoping to live again. They are waiting for someone to say, "Arise, walk."

After Y'Shua raises the little girl from the dead, He instructs her family to feed and take care of her. Today, someone mentioned the art of grafting a vine. The vines grow through the winter, but  for them to be fruitful,they must but cut off in order to be grafted to the new roots system that contains healthy nourishment.

Similarly, these girls for a while will leave their  homes and communities so that they can return with the life-given nutrients of a healthy environment. They will board at the school God is building It is my hope to return the girls to their homes where they can be appropriately be cared for  and nurtured.

Arising One Day at a Time,
MJ

Save Us From Ourselves

The message was clear; clean up, pack up, before it is too late. When Kim gave an impassioned plea to help clean out the church which had housed the Salvation Army for more than a hundred- years for vacancy, I had no idea what lay before me. Into a small space no larger than a walking-in closet, was a debris-filled room crammed with left-overs from decades ago. Old tapes, VHS, plastic cutlery, several vacuum cleaners, all in working-condition no less, CDS, bulletins, programs, tithing envelopes, old SantacCostumes, decorations from Christmas past, and even a Christmas tree found their way to the center of the room.



Assessing the Damage

Where do we start?



Our lives, unfortunately, are much like this ill-used room, crammed with un-dealt with issues, unhealed hurts, unmet needs, regrets, bitterness, and loss. When we think about facing the demons we have stuffed down emotionally, spiritually, and physically for years, we become faint-hearted. How could we bear to tackle the demons that reside in that dark closet of our hearts? Like children, we fear waking the monster of our past. But, there comes a time in everyone’s life, when they simply have to move.

That day dawned bright and early for Billie. Alas, the church was to be closed. Whether he was prepared or not, moving day was upon him.  He needed the help of friends and strangers to get him ready for his next journey. How like us, we can’t get where we are going without help. But receiving help means, we remain vulnerable. The world gets to witness our mess, our brokenness, our neediness.





Billie appraises  the progress.

  

Graciously, it was into such a mess that Y’Shua came. He knew all of our dirty little secrets, the pet demons, and licentious lusts, and yet He came.  He put on human skin and lived like one of us amongst the murk and dirt of society. One piece by dirty slovenly piece, He cleans out our closet. He washes the walls of our hearts with his blood, and vacuums about the broken decayed pieces of our tattered dreams. After He sets the room of our heart aright, He comes and resides there giving us piece. Now, that is quite a deal.

Still Cleaning,

MJ

1 Corinthians 3:16-17: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

The Wounded Womb

A very unusual and shockingly graphic passage of the Bible, Judges 19, begins with these words:  In those days, there was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes. That statement will begin a tale of violence and woe never spoken of before in the Bible. In this story, a man’s concubine leaves him to return to her father’s home. In his zeal he sets out to bring her herhome. Once he retrieves her, he begins the journey at night to return to his own village- an unwise venture.
 Along the way, he and his concubine are invited to take shelter in an old man’s home. Although the man seeks to protect his guest, the villagers demand that he turn the gentlemen out of doors so that they may have sexual relations with him. In a scene reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah, the old man has a better idea: why not make ill use of his virgin daughter and the man’s concubine? So, it is decided the concubine will feed the lust of the village men. When the men have had their fill of the concubine, she manages to drag her mangled body to the doorstep of the old man’s home, where she falls dead. Her master, inflamed by this brutal act, cuts her body into 12 parts and sends them to the all the tribes of Israel.

This story reminds me of living in South Africa where women have no value.  Less than a week ago, a young girl’s body was discovered. She had been raped by ex-boyfriend and his accomplices, and then her womb was ripped from her body. Violence against women in South Africa is not extraordinary. In fact it’s so common that in a recent survey 30% of men have admitted to having raped a woman. This percentage includes the horrific and brutal violation of the woman’s person as described above.

We know that children and women suffer the worst during war times becasue they are most vulnerable and powerless. We realize that women and children are used by invading armies as canon fodder. So, does this mean that South Africa is fighting a civil war: on one side are the women and girl children and on other side are their murderers and abusers?

What does one do in a society where women have no value and even less honor? In the story above, we find that the nation of Israel had no answer for the lack of value and appreciation of women.  They were stymied when the man sent his concubine’s body parts to the 12 tribes. They could only remark, “ has anyone seen anything like this in Israel?”  Where do you find yourself in this story? Are you the father, the master, the concubine the virgin, the old man, or the rapists?

We find that both the old gentleman and the concubine’s master are willing to send her outside to be abused by these men. They are only troubled that it is taken too far. But when is too far?  We find that the old man is willing to give up his virgin daughter to satisfy the lust of the townsmen.  Like Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, he rather give up his daughters and then allow the angelic visitors to face sodomy. But what of the woman , her value, her worth? Obviously because the concubine is already labeled as depreciated because the virgin is not subjected to similar abuse.

When the master finds the concubine laid on the threshold, he only tells her to get up; it’s time to go. There’s no kindness or compassion. One wonders why he even traveled from Bethlehem to retrieve the concubine from her father’s home. We might think it’s a sad turn of affairs or twist of fate, for the concubine would’ve been better off if she had remained at her father’s home. The concubine’s father had advised them not to the travel at night. Yet, he refuses to heed the advice Why?

I’d like to ask us the same question:  “Why do we refuse to heed the cautions, warnings, the premonitions that line the same very dangerous road in the nation in South Africa? When girl children are raped with incredible alacrity, with no alarm in the people’s hearts, what does that say about the conscience of the nation? 

 As ancient Israel so present day South Africa.  It is an indictment against people who do not truly care.  One young woman upon hearing of the brutal rape and murder of the 17- year old victim, Anene Booysen quipped, “They could’ve asked; they didn’t have to take it.”  So it’s all right to ask, and if the answer is no, take it anyway?

There is something very broken about the South African male- it is the South African woman. She is the one who is teaching him that he is more important than her girl children. When the girl child works, and the boy does nothing at home. When he is given the first portion and the best part, what else can he think? I heard a story of a Christian minister and his assistant who both believed that a woman had less worth than a cow. The assistant began to cry, as she released the pent frustration and despair of having no value. What is saddest of all is that we wound ourselves.

I am scared of this false belief system, for you see it was this reason that I came to South Africa- to confront the hegemony, the abuse, and the lies about who girls really are and what they are really worth.  Please read the report for yourself below.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has added its voice to the national call for South Africans to get involved and take a firm stand against rape and all forms of violence against women and children.

GCIS staff members took to the streets of Pretoria on Monday in a bid to increase community awareness about the scourge of rape.

Carrying placards with messages such as "No means no", "Say no to rape", "Real men don't rape", "Don't look away: report and act against rape", staff members interacted with the public, handing out pamphlets with toll-free helpline numbers for Crime Stop and Childline, among others.

The pamphlets also had information on steps individuals and communities could take to protect themselves.

"We are calling on society to be active participants and unite against the abuse of women," said acting GCIS CEO Phumla Williams. "Government alone cannot do it."

"As the GCIS, we want to empower the public with the information … We want everybody to be part of the campaign."

Williams emphasised the need to empower people in South Africa's rural areas, saying they had to be better equipped to report incidences of rape.

The campaign's message resonated with members of the public. Lillian Raophala (25), a student in one of the colleges in the Pretoria city centre, said she fully supported the campaign.

"Women should be free and they must report incidences of rape," she said.

Thabang Phago from Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, said rape should not be tolerated. "As men, we need to unite against such acts," he said.

The campaign was triggered by recent rape cases, the most recent being that of Anene Booysen (17), who was raped and mutilated in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape.

She was found at a construction site on Saturday, 2 February, left for dead by her attackers. She died later that day from her injuries.

One of Booysen's alleged killers appeared before the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday. Three people, all from Bredasdorp, have been arrested in connection with Booysen's death. Booysen was buried at the weekend.

Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/services/rights/antirape-120213.htm#ixzz2KlzbURtA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young Me

This newsletter may be the most important one that I send to you. Violence against women in South Africa is in epidemic proportions. Stellenbosch University’s poll found 30 percent of males in South Africa admit to having raped a woman. These men were college-educated. The fight I am now engaged in is not only with the souls but the very bodies of young girls in South Africa. The young girl above is me. And I know I would want someone to fight for me if I had been born into such dire circumstances. Invite you to read the newsletter and a blog which will also send to you. In those documents you will get a greater feel from the misogyny or hatred that exists against women and why I hope you will join in the fight to bring God’s love to this wounded nation and generation.

-         MJ

God's Punctuation

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

 (2 Corinthians:  3:3-4)

 GOD

God sees the whole story, and I must trust His divine perspective as He writes the epistolary novel which is my life. His additions and editions make the most of the words which are on the page: Like David, I write as my Divine Muse stirs the ink with which He writes His divine story:"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful write" (Psalm 45:1)

You have likely come across the term, selah, as you have read the Psalms. It  is a poetic term which means to pause, think, and reflect. It literally reminds me to be still and know that He alone is God (Psalm 46). The dash serves the same function; it  provides a pause, a respite, but it supplies additional information- needful information.

In between the ellipsis, the wait, the patient and impatient, He is writing our story when we can not see. During the quiet time, the long hours spend at the loved one's side, He is writing, perfecting, our story. Sometimes, I place a small letter what should be a capital. God changes what I call significant to insignificant and what I call as a capital letter- a literal new beginning.

The semicolon adds more pertinent information to that which flowed before. In the same vein, God adds layer and layer of  Christ's story in our lives. Since Christ died for us, He wants to live His life through us. Despite life's pain, we, "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:32).

The boldfaced underlined unadulterated truth is that  God has to allow pain in our lives at times so that we relinquish the pen and paper into His hands. Our lives are the script that is being written. We are living epistles read by men!  Hallelujah! Each day is a blank page- an empty canvas upon which God longs to pour His words of life on the dry thirsty pages that soak up the ink of His love.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).

 

O' Lord write your story on me, in, me, and through me. You make  me a scribe to write what you are doing. I write on the hearts of my students, peers, and family Your Truth. Lord, I praise you when there is an exclamation point because it signals a day of joy! Lord, place your apostrophe behind my name because I belong to you.

When I open my mouth, may there be quotation marks around your words that flow out of me. Colons are meant to explain in greater depth what has transpired before. Lord, let me slow down for the explanation as I still my hands., heart, and feet to hear from you. God give me the grace to pause when you want to add to the story when you place a slash/ as you write the poetry of my life/ Selah.



An empty waiting page,
MJ





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A Different Ending

Paul  imagined himself the greatest of sinners, provoking the very mercy of God. He, a ruthless murderer, devout reprobate, who vandalized the name of God's beloved Son knew that he, of all people, deserved God's judgment, not His mercy. But here he was, a piece of parchment, in the hands of the Master being shaped into a love letter to the nations, speaking of God's continual grace and unearned  and boundless mercy. Only one so vile even in his own estimation could adequately appreciate the awesome gift of God's unconditional love. He resolutely declares,

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.  Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed (I Corinthians 15:9-11).

No unsteady tremble in his voice, no quacking hesitation, this same man boldly declares that nothing can separate us from God's love. Limits do not exist. Using the rhetorical device of a meriah, he juxtaposes the extremes of two ends of the spectrum: a literal contrast that by their dimensions suggests all that remains in their in-between: height/depth; life/death/ angels and depths are counterpoised:

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

in the same vein, concentration camp survivor Corrie ten Boom exults, "there is not pit that God's love is not deeper still." Nothing in all of creation can unravel God's love for us when we just can not see the other side of the pain yet.  Rejected and blind, George Matheson wrote these word, "O love that will not let me go. I rest my weary soul in thee. I give the back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths its flow may richer fuller be."

What will the Hand pen? Pain, loss, peace, joy? It is in yielding the pen to the Great Scribe that best story is ever written. Few of us would worry if Charles Dickens or Shakespeare aspired to write the tale of our lives, but we are want to allow the Greatest Author to write His story over our lives. The Apostle Paul trusted God to rewrite the abysmal tale of his life and what a story God wrote. One full of tragedy and pain, but exultant with triumph and grace."For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them "(Ephesians 2:10).

Most of us have heard the statement,"Don't put a period where God has placed a comma."
We know that a period ends a statement, a paragraph, or is the final thought of a lengthy treatise. The comma is a mere pause, a breath, a rhetorical function that can be a contradiction to a  prior conceived idea. How many times has life handed you an however, ? More is to follow where you thought it might simply end. Paul's life was such an example, the man who sent Christians to their deaths and left children orphans, God chose to be a spokesman to the Gentiles- the goyim to share the glory of the Messiah.


God knows who needs the second chance; where I have placed a period, he makes it into a conjunctive adverb and a comma: However, Jesus.... Despite,  the crowd with stones in their hands, Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground. Just as He did for Paul, He gives us second chances and encourages us to the same.

Always in need of the Second Chance,
MJ