Calling all Women...our precious...precious...sisters...

Calling all Women

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

“And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Thy word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:28).

And those who did not understand her calling went, therefore, and no doubt proclaimed their version of it all. The big no-no, pregnancy before wedlock, was in the air and if it was anything like the day and age in which I grew up, many were aghast and the whispering abounded.

But truth be told, Mary needed more than a donkey on which to ride. She needed Elizabeth’s hug reassuring her all would be well. Not only was the hug necessary, but the validation that it was holy ground on which she trod. Woman to woman they empowered, lifted up, and prayed. They did not compete, tear down, or wallow in jealousy but chose to genuinely love one another.

What happens when we are unable to do that? What happens when pride shows up, when comparisons register, when anything but Love’s pure light is in the room? What then? If clamoring competition kicks in…threatening us by what others are and what we are not brings us anywhere but to our knees...there will be trouble. There will be justification for our actions not by verbally building self up, but more so by tearing others down. There will be comments hoisted into thin air so others around catch the put down. There will be body language intentionally extinguishing the heart of the one we so wish to destroy while subliminal messages are by no means minimally mean.

Newcomers on the block or within households are picked apart until nothing is left. Instead of extending a hand like that of Elizabeth’s, battle lines are drawn and wars are waged unearthing generational demise of what women were meant to become.

Most women can attest to being at both ends of the spectrum, and I confess that the nasty side of self can in fact displace those most in need of compassion. I’ve held my own heart when it’s been shattered…and I’ve been the one to shatter that of another. At times I can easily pray, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do…” and at other times…I’ve had to confess, “Forgive me Father even though I think I knew full well what I just did.”

In other words, I’ve been the one to extend forgiveness, and I’ve been the one in need of it.

As of late I’ve been reminded that we are not fighting people but principalities. The true enemy is not other women; causing the attack is the one who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The enemy desires we be sidetracked and the last half of that verse teaches why. “Christ has come that we might have life and have it to the full.”

And so, the next time we become entangled in any of the above commotion eliciting plenty of emotion, may I suggest we remember where the true battle lies. It is not with one another. Ephesians 6:12 attests to this. ”For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” As we choose to build up in love, His name, the name of above all names, will be glorified.  Amen.