Every woman needs her hero ...

"I need a hero

I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night

He’s gotta be strong

And he’s gotta be fast

And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light

He’s gotta be sure

And it’s gotta be soon

And he’s gotta be larger than life"

Did you just sing it in your head?

This song was released the year I was born. It's catchy, it sure is fun to sing playing sing star with a group of friends ... but the lyrics ... not so sure!

I think this song (and others!) reinforces a common misconception that women have about men and about their 'need' for men. (Interestingly the song was written by two men) It also reinforces misconceptions that some women have about themselves and their place in society and within a relationship. Many women have this desire to be swept off their feet by a man who is heroic and prince-like, someone who will rescue them from their struggles and save they day. It's reinforced by children's stories, rom-coms (admittedly I do like watching romcoms), action movies and comics.

Have you seen Disney's Avenger gender specific sexist T-Shirts that were released recently?

The Boys version

And this one is for the girls

Thankfully because of an online petition the girls version were removed from the shelves. A friend shared with me how creating change through online petitions blows her mind. "ridiculously easy, super effective!" I've been sceptical of online petitions in the past, and wondered about their effectiveness ... here is the proof they work.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to light a bonfire, start burning my bras and all my children's Disney books. But I do feel that within society and within the church, many have bought into a lie that says women are a subordinate gender who require rescuing.

For a period of time I believed it. I actually desired as a teenager and young adult to be swept off my feet, that I needed to wait for my knight in shining armour. Some of the books I'd read totally reinforced this. Case and point, "Captivating" which in summary pretty much says "Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story." It's the companion book to "Wild at Heart" which says: "God designed men to be dangerous," It talks about how men long to be involved in adventure and desire a beauty to rescue. I'm not denying men and women are different, we are, but some differences are simply stereotypes that result from society. These books can certainly get some discussion going.

I think part of the reason we "long" for these things, is because these ideas are instilled into us from childhood ... Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White etc etc etc ... They are nice stories with feel good happy endings, but we mustn't confuse fantasy with reality.

As an adult I'm able to make the distinction between fantasy and reality (hopefully), my children aren't. Little girls grow up thinking they are inferior beings in need of rescue, and boys grow up thinking they are superior, the hero who's responsibility it is to rescue. My responsibility to them as their parent to to make sure they know they both have strength, courage and the ability to fight for the things that really matter. In fact just yesterday I had a conversation with my 3 year old son who was adament that his sister couldn't be a hero because she was a girl, she had to be the princess ... (he hasn't got these ideas from me!) needless to say I emphasised that Evy could be a super hero in their game as well, he actually got quite heated about it, but eventually conceded.

If we're real and honest about it, the whole of humanity requires rescuing, our need for rescue is NOT gender specific. The fact is, we (humanity) have been held captive by sin, that sin separates us from our Creator, and we are incapable of rescuing each other. But God, who loves us fiercely and passionately comes as a human to rescue us once and for all. Jesus sets us free from the bondage and captivity of sin. He pays the price on our head with his own life. He fought death and won, being raised to life, and his victory is ours. He's a hero who has strength in love and power in forgiveness. And he calls us (both men and women, he makes no distinction) to join him in this adventurous life of rescue.

I don't expect my husband to be a hero! I love him so much, and he absolutely loves me. For me to expect him to be my hero, my rescuer is to place unfair, unrealistic expectations on him, and set him up to fail, despite what we are often told, it's not his responsibility to 'rescue' me.

Don't stereotype me because I'm a woman, I don't need rescuing, I have been rescued, and now I partner with my hero, my Saviour, Jesus, to see others rescued and set free, as do many of my male counterparts. As a woman who is married, I get to share this adventure with my husband, (but it's an adventure I'd still be participating in if I wasn't married!) This is reality not fantasy. In Christ we have been given the same commission and in him there is neither male nor female.

End of Rant.
Much love!

P.S: If you are a parent of a little girl, you might find these websites helpful:
A Mighty Girl Website - empowering girls everywhere, this link takes you to a page full of books about princesses who do the rescuing instead of waiting to be rescued

Miss Representation - A website based on the film which explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. Has some great resources to get involved and active.

Her Global Snapshot - where to from here?

It's 2013, and her picture is bleak. It's a picture of inequality. It's a picture of injustice.

From New Zealand to China, Ethiopia to Yemen, Congo to Cambodia, throughout the Globe women face inequality and injustice on a daily basis. Her Global Snapshot: Domestic Violence, Female Genital Mutilation, Honour Killings, Breast Ironing and Human Traffiking doesn't begin to brush the surface of the injustice. Be sure to read 'Her Global Snapshot' before reading on.

Injustice!

She is Beautiful. She is Strong. She is Gifted. She is Woman.
And she deserves better than this!

 In the midst of the dark cold hard stories and facts there is hope! In the face of injustice people are standing up and fighting for the rights of women, for their equality and for their freedom from oppression. The truth is, that no matter where we are, what our situation, there is hope and we can be involved in the fight for justice. It can be really hard to know where to start, so here are five tips to get started:

1) Get Informed.
Don't be ignorant, read newspapers, search the web and find out what's really going on out there. Injustice seems to be everywhere we turn. I've compiled a list of websites and resources here which confronts many of the issues raised in 'Her Global Snapshot'. Be proactive and learn about what our sisters around the world are facing each day.

2) Identify your passion.
As I've delved into the injustices women face, there are a couple of issues in particular that pull on my heart strings and bring me to tears (ok, so most of them make me cry, but some make me really bawl!). I've discovered a passion for maternal health and fistula repairs (maybe due to my nursing background?). Other people are driven to fight out about other issues. On the weekend I was speaking at a youth event and shared about some of the injustices in 'Her Global Snapshot', one young woman shared afterwards that after hearing about child rape as a tactic of war in the Congo, she was stuck on that for the rest of the message. It pulled on her heartstrings, it's her passion. Identify yours and then use the passion to fight for justice.

3) Get Connected.
There are others fighting for justice. Others who are equipped and resourced to fight with the know how. They are seeing success in womens lives. Follow their facebook pages, sign up for their newsletters, get connected with them. When you do, your own understanding, involvement and influence increases. I've certainly found that to be true for myself.

4) Spread the Word.
Don't keep the information to yourself. Talk about it in your circles of friends, post statuses on facebook bringing the issues to peoples attention, let others know what's going on and how they can get involved. MAKE SOME NOISE! SHOUT OUT ABOUT INJUSTICE FOR JUSTICE.

(Found this pic on Pinterest)

5) Spend some cash.
Like I've already mentioned there are plenty of organisations doing amazing work in the lives of women around the world. Get connected to them, and spend some money. Pay for a fistula surgery, finance a little girl to go to school (seriously, education is the greatest way to combat the injustices women face), micro finance a woman so she can start a business and care for her family. Check out the websites and resources for a list of organisations to get connected too. Most of them tell you how you can give.

Who knows what you'll end up doing once you get started.
Easy aye! Change the World! Fight for Justice! Do it!

SamMe

"While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight" - William Booth

Jesus totally rocked Feminism!

Hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus, Greek philosophers (like Plato and Aristotle) taught that women were evil, they were mans punishment, they were a curse, subordinate and inferior to men, deformed males, less capable than men, lacking strength unable to reason, or demonstrate self-control*.

When the Roman Empire was established much of this thinking filtered through. Romans questioned whether women were really human, women had so little value they weren’t even given their own name, it was acceptable and legal to dispose of baby girls, and wives could be killed for adultery, but men were encouraged to have mistresses and sleep with prostitutes*.

By the time Jesus was born, Jewish culture and beliefs had been influenced by the Greeks and Romans. They thought women were more likely to sin, they were possessions to be used or avoided, in fact it was better to not even look at or speak to a woman. Women were denied entry to the temple and were segregated from men, they couldn’t fully engaged in worship and were deterred from reading and studying the Torah*.

ENTER JESUS!

In walks Jesus, to kick some mysogynous (fear or hatred of women) inequality in the butt! He ventures into this society poisoned with inequality, double standards and a culture that had strayed from Gods original intention and word. My Hero!

Jesus comes and revolutionises the way women are seen. He implements what it means to live counter-culturally. I LOVE HIS WORK!

He looks at women. He sees women for who they really are. He talks to women. He listens to their fears, and failings and responds to them with kindness and love. He involves women in his own ministry. He reveals to them their real place. He teaches them. He empowers them. He commissions them. He loves them.

There are so many stories of how Jesus spat in the face of inequality and the rules and regulations oppressing women in his day. A few of my favs...


He sits next to a woman at a well, and asks HER to give HIM water. He then enters a theological discussion with her, revealing to HER that he is the 'living water'. This revelation of who he is ... he gave to a woman first. He then commissioned her to go and share her experince of him, with others. As a result of this woman, many came to believe in Jesus.


A woman who has bled constantly for 12 years pushes through a crowd and touches his cloak, believing that just by touching him, she will be healed. Jesus stops, looks her in the face, calls her daughter, affirms her and indeed heals her from her infirmity. She reaches out to him, and he responds. He doesn't turn her away, look down on her ... but he embraces her with compassion and love.


Another women, caught in the act of adultery is surrounded by men. They hold stones, ready to throw, they shout at her with insults and condemnation. The man involved, is nowhere to be seen. Jesus breaks through the crowd and says "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone." One by one the crowd dissipates. Jesus also challenged the view that women were the only guilty party in adultery and levelled the playing field.

Mary, who sits at the feet of Jesus, taking the typical position of a student or disciple.  She hangs on every word as he teaches. Her sister in the kitchen tries to call her to her 'proper place' in the kitchen, but Jesus affirms Mary, and encourages that she has chosen what is better. He enables and empowers her to learn.

Then there is Mary who Jesus first appeared to in the garden after his resurrection. He tasked her, commissioned her with going to tell others that he had risen. Jesus, asking a woman, Mary, to share the best news ever with a bunch of men. This has to be significant! He commissions and appoints her.

Jesus turned the way women were viewed upside down. He recognised their value, their potential and responded to their needs and desires. He acknowledged and affirmed them for who they really were, despite what society said about them. He wasn't afraid to challenge the beliefs of the day, and did this not only with his words, but with his actions. He called his followers to do the same. Jesus totally rocked feminism. (Boom, dropped the 'f' bomb!)

There is no room for inequality in those who follow Jesus.

Sadly, today, equality for Women is still a dream. All around the world women are oppressed by the beliefs, traditions and values of their societies, cultures and organisations.

Jesus longs to turn that upside down!

Today, on International Womens Day 2013, know this:

Jesus sees you, he values you, he recognises your value and worth, he calls you capable and competant. He responds when you reach out to him. He offers healing, freedom and forgiveness. Jesus desires for women to be freed from oppression and to be seen as and treated equal to their male counter-parts. He wants you living life to it's fullest, and fulfilling your potential. You have value. You have worth.

As followers of Jesus, it's up to us to join him, imitate his example, and kick inequality in the butt!

Stay tuned as I attempt to delve a little deeper into this stuff in coming weeks.

Comment below with your thoughts and opinions, maybe something you’d like some more info on. Maybe even share your own experience of inequality or how you’ve been kicking it in the butt and you’ll go in the draw to win a copy of “Fearless Daughters of the Bible” by J. Lee Grady.
Exciting, my first give-away! (if you’re comment is anonymous, you won’t be able to with the book). The book isn't just for women either ... both men and women will benefit from reading it.

Itsy. Bitsy!

P.S: If you wanna do more reading aroung this topic, check out the books on Equality at the bottom of this page. In particular "Why not women?" by Cunnigham and Hamilton. It gives the cultural context of Jesus day, surrounding influences and breaks down some of the tough passages of scripture regarding women.

*Reference: Cunningham and Hamilton "Why not Women"