Yesterday, I drove a young teenage boy to the YMCA. As we
neared the building he turned to me and said,
“Jane, women can’t go in the army and I know why.”
I replied that actually women could go in the armed forces.
“No” he argued, “They can’t, it is because of gender, they
are defective. You know, it is like they are disabled.”
I was flabbergasted!
I just had time to tell him that to say things like that was
sexist and akin to racism and other prejudices before we reached our
destination.
Yet I had to wonder where had he got those ideas. He has
some learning difficulties and words like “gender” and “defective” would not be
part of his normal vocabulary. He was obviously repeating something he had
heard.
The whole exchange left me frustrated and saddened. Here we
are in 2015 and patriarchy is still alive and well. And not just remnants in an
older generation but a new generation who still believe that to be male, is to
be superior and to be female is–well, as we just heard– defective.
Then I read the lectionary readings for today, Luke
24:13-49. The beginning of the text is the story of two disciples on the road
to Emmaus. The story tells that Jesus joined them on the road, conversed with
them and, ultimately, they invited Jesus into their home to spend the night.
A popular story, and one which shows how we have read the
scriptures through patriarchal eyes. There are lots of major art works that
illustrate this story. I looked at some of the pictures.
To name just a few . . .
Duccio (1308)
Caravaggio (1601)
Rembrandt (1648)
Zund (1887)
De Maistre (1958)
They are all very beautiful. One thing they have in common is
they all depict the two disciples on the road as two males.
I have to question why it has been assumed, through the
centuries, that these two disciples were men. Of course, the story tells us
that one of them was a man. He was even named, Cleopas. Yet, the other remains
unnamed. It is often the women in the Bible who remain unnamed and invisible.
A little bit of study shows us that Cleopas had a wife, Mary
(John 19:25). Note that Clopas and Cleopas are variations of the same name. The
early church father, Eusebius, believed that Cleopas/Clopas was the brother of
Joseph, the legal parent of Jesus.
So, we are told that Cleopas’ wife, Mary was in Jerusalem.
She was named in the gospel of John as one of the women who remained at the
foot of the cross. Therefore, it would seem easier to assume that the couple of
disciples walking towards Emmaus were Cleopas and Mary, rather than two men. One
of whom had left his wife behind in Jerusalem! Therefore, it was a married
couple who urged Jesus to spend the night at their home.
This story is well worth thinking about in the light of
patriarchy. It can serve as a model of how we approach the scriptures. There is
a need to recognize that the patriarchy of that time is reflected in the Bible.
A patriarchy which has often been picked up whenever the scripture is read. Hence
two disciples = two men. If we approach the readings with that in mind there
are lots of hidden gems showing the presence and participation of the women of
the time.
Lindisfarne is an inclusive community. Being aware of
patriarchy in our lives, workplace and ministry is a small part of that
inclusivism. How we approach and read the scriptures is a key component. It is
important that we acknowledge the place of women in our spiritual tradition. As
Anne Thurston said, twenty years ago,
“I have struggled with the attempt to integrate the insights
from feminism with the Christian tradition. This struggle continues but with
greater assurance that integration is not only possible but necessary for the
transformation of the whole church. I believe, however inadequately it has been
realised, that Jesus established a radically inclusive community . . . It is
not simply a matter of including the voices of women but of creating inclusive
community symbolised by an inclusive ministry. The centre is transformed as the
context of women’s lives becomes part of the text of revelation.” (Anne
Thurston, Because of her Testimony, p.4-5)
Of course, I may have it all wrong. Maybe it simply was a
same-sex couple on the road to Emmaus who invited Jesus to stay at their home!
