He was charmingAs fine and admirable as those qualities are, I don't think they are what I'd want my friends or co-workers mentioning if they were given a single quote to describe my life.
He one of France's finest business men
He was passionate about business, and inspired that passion in others
He was brilliant, dynamic, and humane.
On the other side of life, I have the honor of being in the wedding of a couple good friends this weekend. I'm sure I'll have many more reflections after the wedding (not to mention that I really should write my 'Why geishas are more relaxing than going to church' reflection after last night. But here's one I've been thinking about tonight: The custom of the father giving the bride to the groom, symbolizing the transfer of responsibility for protecting her from the father to the husband (among other symbols).
What about women makes protection appropriate? Does offering protection imply that the protectee is weaker? Is genuine protection ever offered without implying value? What does it mean for a husband to protect his wife? His daughter?
6 comments:
I'd really like to hear how you answer those questions. I'm not sure how I'd answer them, but they make me think of a quote from the movie Casanova: "A good wife will give you protection."
I have a hard time believing that protection is a one-way street ... at least, that every kind of protection is.
I think the answer to those questions do revolve around value. Not value measured in terms of weak/strong but in what is treasured or special or otherwise dear to ones heart.
Men and women and husbands and wives should emulate Jesus, but in different ways. For husbands, one of the ways we are to be like Jesus is that he protected us from the penalty of sin because we are that valuable to God, and as such husbands should do everything to protect their wives (and family) from harm because they are that valuable, perhaps even to the point of death. This is one way that I am to serve Jenny. Wives should emulate Big J by filling a slightly different role of servitude.
So I see it not as a matter of a need for protection, but a role to be filled.
So why does the woman have to be in the servant role? Why can't husbands and wives both serve and protect each other? In this way, both can more completely imitate Jesus. Neither is doing a very good job imitating him if they only serve or only protect.
As Tina says, each person will be different in how they can best serve and protect. In some cases, the woman will be better at protecting, and in other cases the man will. However, there is no reason for inventing sex-specific exclusive roles.
Lindsey...I didn't say anything about the woman being in the servant role. I don't really think protection implies a master-servant relationship. (Consider Captain-crew, Queen-subject, Knight-lady, lady-butler, General-soldier, President-secret service.)
And...I can think of several of reasons for inventing sex-specific roles:
1. It's fun.
2. It stimulates thought.
3. Good role creation is an expression of artistic talent.
Okay, maybe those are pretty lousy reasons. :) In general, I agree with you and prefer revelation to invention. Innovation is usually heresy.
Ah....servitude and submission....don't those words make the skin crawl of almost every women on the planet and men duck the wrath of some very upset women when the conversation is brought up. I was one of those women and it took a lot of discussion, prayer and insight into the bible to get a better understanding.
First, Eph 5 is often quoted as the ultimate servitude role. What do our modern minds usually angrily translate our women's role to be? Barefoot and pregnant. To look at that section as a whole I find something a little different. Women are called to submit to only one man, their husband. Not ANY random guy but just your husband. Submission is an act of trust and respect, but it is not an inactive role. See Prov. 31 for the biblical model of a "submissive" woman. The household is ran together. The woman is a shrewd business woman. She works hard and is respected and loved. She is seen as intelligent, not downtrodden. She is given a role of respect. Why does she do these things? To bring honor to her husband and her family. She serves others just as Christ serves us, before herself....something we are all called to do.
In Eph. 5 it is also said that husbands are also to love their wives as Christ loved the church. So, in some sense, I agree with Peter that we are both to emulate Christ in our own ways.
It is not a matter of weaker and stronger, but a matter of God's plan for marriage as a whole. He creates a unit of three, man, woman and God, all dependant on one another for the sucess of the union. Women can be strong, smart and opinionated while being loving and respectful. Yes? Men can be the 'head of the household' while valuing his wife, her thoughts and her best interest in addition to thinking of the best for his family as a whole. Neither one are easy tasks. Both are a matter of give and take with some compromise and sacrifice in between. And both require putting the one you chose to love before yourself, and ultimately trusting God and his word/promises vs. what the world/some churches are telling you what 'your role is'.
Lindsey: Both women AND men are to fulfill roles of servant and protector, not just the ladies or just the men. It's just that we're to do it in different ways. By being obedient to these roles we can show our love for each other, and for God.
Katie: Quit blogging, you're supposed to be on your honeymoon!
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