Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, July 26, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Um. How is this honoring your wife? “Oh, yeah, you’re a second-class citizen and, actually, just a piece of my property, because, you know, you’re weak and otherwise less-than, but I guess since you’re alive God must love you and so should I.” Yikes.
Let’s talk about the word “weak.” There are no fewer than ten definitions in Merriam Webster’s online dictionary and almost all of them have at least two sub-definitions (some up to four) bringing the grand total to twenty-three different things “weak” could mean and only three of them have anything to do with physical strength which one has to accept is generally greater in men than women (yes, I know there are plenty of physically strong women and women who are physically stronger than men, but biologically, males of the human species are generally physically stronger for evolutionary reasons.)
And I don’t want to get into an argument by claiming that women are emotionally stronger than men, or physically stronger in terms of pain tolerance (childbearing anyone? Not for the faint of heart), or intellectually stronger or whatever. The point is that you cannot wholesale decide that 51% or so of the population is less than you in some sense or another and condescendingly deign to “honor” them because of it.
God created humans in God’s image—male and female God created them (biologically). No hierarchy. No assignment of greater or lesser value. Husbands, if you want to honor your wife, acknowledge her equality to you in every way that actually matters, so that nothing may hinder your prayers.
Growing up, was I socialized to believe women were weaker than men in some way? What has my experience shown me?