Your thoughts?

[dlamberth]

sometimes I wonder
if Mary breastfed Jesus.
if she cried out when he bit her
or if she sobbed when he would not latch.
and sometimes I wonder
if this is all too vulgar
to ask in a church
full of men
without milk stains on their shirts
or coconut oil on their breasts
preaching from pulpits off limits to the Mother of God.
but then i think of feeding Jesus,
birthing Jesus,
the expulsion of blood
and smell of sweat,
the salt of a mother’s tears
onto the soft head of the Salt of the Earth,
feeling lonely
and tired
hungry
annoyed
overwhelmed
loving
and i think,
if the vulgarity of birth is not
honestly preached
by men who carry power but not burden,
who carry privilege but not labor,
who carry authority but not submission,
then it should not be preached at all.
because the real scandal of the Birth of God
lies in the cracked nipples of a
14 year old
and not in the sermons of ministers
who say women
are too delicate
to lead.
-Kaitlin Hardy Shetler

 

[Ophiolite]

Thoughts? It shouldn't have the effect it will have and has had in some quarters, but - on the plus side - thirty years ago it wouldn't even have been noticed. So there is progress.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Childbirth is for women.
Hard labor is for men.

 

[Tree of Life]

I don't know why we need to tear down men in order to build up women.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I don't know why we need to tear down men in order to build up women.

It's the old "Battle of the Sexes" thing. It never ends.

 

[Darkhorse]

It's the old "Battle of the Sexes" thing. It never ends.

The sexes shouldn't be "battling"; they have much better things to do!

Great poem...

 

[BobRyan]

I agree that the birth of Christ was to bring peace on earth good will toward men - not yet another chance for battle of the sexes.

God's Word teaches "Love your neighbor as yourself" it does not say "only if they are a woman" or "only if they are a man". We do not need to stick conflict between the sexes into it.

 

[pescador]

I don't know why we need to tear down men in order to build up women.

Because it's men who keep women "in their place".

 

[pescador]

I agree that the birth of Christ was to bring peace on earth good will toward men - not yet another chance for battle of the sexes.

God's Word teaches "Love your neighbor as yourself" it does not say "only if they are a woman" or "only if they are a man". We do not need to stick conflict between the sexes into it.

But unfortunately that's what many men do. They cite one or two self-justifying verses out of context instead of considering God and His Word.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Because it's men who keep women "in their place".

A woman's place is actually pretty big. Proverbs 31.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The sexes shouldn't be "battling"; they have much better things to do!

Great poem...

They have to battle, until someone wins.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

But unfortunately that's what many men do. They cite one or two self-justifying verses out of context instead of considering God and His Word.

You can come to the same conclusions by taking God's word in context. Even some scholars think the bible is very misogynistic. There must be a reason for this.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I agree that the birth of Christ was to bring peace on earth good will toward men - not yet another chance for battle of the sexes.

God's Word teaches "Love your neighbor as yourself" it does not say "only if they are a woman" or "only if they are a man". We do not need to stick conflict between the sexes into it.

Jesus came to rescue his 'woman' from sin.

 

[Darkhorse]

They have to battle, until someone wins.

If they engage in the "better things to do", they both win!

 

[OldWiseGuy]

If they engage in the "better things to do", they both win!

If they come to an agreement first.

Amos 3:3
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

 

[Robban]

sometimes I wonder
if Mary breastfed Jesus.
if she cried out when he bit her
or if she sobbed when he would not latch.
and sometimes I wonder
if this is all too vulgar
to ask in a church
full of men
without milk stains on their shirts
or coconut oil on their breasts
preaching from pulpits off limits to the Mother of God.
but then i think of feeding Jesus,
birthing Jesus,
the expulsion of blood
and smell of sweat,
the salt of a mother’s tears
onto the soft head of the Salt of the Earth,
feeling lonely
and tired
hungry
annoyed
overwhelmed
loving
and i think,
if the vulgarity of birth is not
honestly preached
by men who carry power but not burden,
who carry privilege but not labor,
who carry authority but not submission,
then it should not be preached at all.
because the real scandal of the Birth of God
lies in the cracked nipples of a
14 year old
and not in the sermons of ministers
who say women
are too delicate
to lead.
-Kaitlin Hardy Shetler

We all have a mother.

sometimes I wonder
if Mary breastfed Jesus.
if she cried out when he bit her
or if she sobbed when he would not latch.
and sometimes I wonder
if this is all too vulgar
to ask in a church
full of men
without milk stains on their shirts
or coconut oil on their breasts
preaching from pulpits off limits to the Mother of God.
but then i think of feeding Jesus,
birthing Jesus,
the expulsion of blood
and smell of sweat,
the salt of a mother’s tears
onto the soft head of the Salt of the Earth,
feeling lonely
and tired
hungry
annoyed
overwhelmed
loving
and i think,
if the vulgarity of birth is not
honestly preached
by men who carry power but not burden,
who carry privilege but not labor,
who carry authority but not submission,
then it should not be preached at all.
because the real scandal of the Birth of God
lies in the cracked nipples of a
14 year old
and not in the sermons of ministers
who say women
are too delicate
to lead.
-Kaitlin Hardy Shetler

Women and children first.

Or so it goes.

Overprotection can be harmful.

It is possible Adam was being overprotective by telling Eve not to even touch the tree with forbidden fruit.

It was not what he was told, he was told not to eat of the fruit from the tree.

After the conversation with the serpent she......Oh! my goodness she
touched the tree, and she was not struck down by a bolt of lightning.

The rest is both history and just as actuell today.

 

[Tree of Life]

Because it's men who keep women "in their place".

Ah. Destroy the patriarchy and all of that. Right?

 

[dlamberth]

What struck me is the human relationship with Jesus as experienced through the eyes of a loving mother. That's something impossible for a man to know. Because we tend to mostly focus on the God aspect of Jesus, I think that human part gets missed a lot. And that's where I feel women's voice is needed. The author clearly feels that's not happening. That's my take.

 

[dlamberth]

Ah. Destroy the patriarchy and all of that. Right?

I'd suggest balance.

 

[Robban]

What struck me is the human relationship with Jesus as experienced through the eyes of a loving mother. That's something impossible for a man to know. Because we tend to mostly focus on the God aspect of Jesus, I think that human part gets missed a lot. And that's where I feel women's voice is needed. The author clearly feels that's not happening. That's my take.

Human emotion and feelings.
1 Kings 3:16-28 tells a different story.