Last night while in the break room the TV was on, playing an very old show. One of my co-workers relayed to me a brief synopsis of one of the episodes from that series. She told me how one of the sisters on the show ended an argument with her brother by saying, "I'm going to finish baking my cake." My friend then exclaimed, clearly disgusted, "Gender roles!"
Listening more intently to the series, Into the Heart, by Christopher West, he brought up feminism. He talked about how women were right in standing up and fighting for the right to be respected, valued, and fighting against so much of the junk going on. But he brought up a point that I have been learning in my own life little by little, enjoying and delighting in the fact I am feminine, a woman. Many strong feminists in their right for equality, freedom and independence seem to have bought into the lie that in order to get what they want they have to become like men. And that is exactly what it is, a lie. If we have to become like men to be accepted then isn't a self defeating idea, for we would be denying the fact we are women?
I've noticed it in my co-worker who had made the comment about gender roles, she refuses to allow her parents to help with paying for her wedding, she doesn't see that her parents want to give her a gift, to love her and show that love for her and her future husband and not "part-taking in the historical idea of selling women off" (her words). My college friend Jennifer, hates the color pink and not because she actually doesn't like the color but because it is so commonly identified with the feminine. Instead she readily chooses what she considers to be masculine colors: black, blue, grays, and red.
I am a woman. I wanted to be respected as a woman, I want to like what I like because of just the fact that I like it. I want to be treated as an equal person, I do not want to be treated like a man. I want to be respected, valued, and I want my contributions to be accepted because they are worthwhile, not because of my gender. The same should go both ways, we should value, respect and accept the contributions of people because they are worthwhile, meaningful, and add to the good.
I like pink, baking, dancing, and have a fondness for high heels in bright colors. I like mowing the lawn, carpentry, and am athletic. I am a strong person and I am knowing myself more and more. I cry, sometimes I think too much, I don't like romantic movies and prefer comedies. I know what it is like to be overlooked because I am female, I fight to make my way, but I like who I am- a woman. There is nothing wrong with being one gender or the other. We should respect each other because there is the echo of the divine in us- the fact that we are made in the image of God and He calls us very good.
Please let us not put down each other for the things we like to do, instead let us challenge each other to make our contributions worthwhile, meaningful and for the benefit of others. Let us not succumb to the lie that in order to be treated as equals we women must deny, cover up or mute our femininity. Instead let us press to be equals, valued, respected, honored, and as different than men. We are made uniquely and guess what, that is a TREASURE. The differences between the genders are good things, not things that make one or the other less than. The differences are needed for balance, harmony and they reveal more about God, then I think, we have given them credit.
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