Junia, a Jewish Woman who scholars gave a sex change to in order to confirm their bias toward men!
If only she knew the dialogue and debate that would follow her life. Her name is linked in definition to a woman born in June. I can only thank my parents for placing that particular anointing on my life as I celebrate my birthday today 1st June. The soul desires of a ‘Junia’ resonate with me over and over: the desire for order and creativity, a powerful personality, enriched by creative ideas and having an efficiency and determination to implement these ideas, tending to be courageous and sometimes aggressive. It can also refer to someone youthful. I will not mention my year of birth at this stage but I will take ‘youthful’ as a descriptor.
I am struck by the notions held that the Apostle Paul thought less of women. NO! He admired women and even recognised and furnished them with a position of authority in the church and in society with Junia taking apostolic authority. Regardless of your take on faith and spirituality I am fascinated by Feminism within Christianity. The term ‘Feminism’ has heavy baggage and can conjure up negative thoughts, opinions and responses. I am hoping that this short series will help redeem the term and journey us further in our understanding of and opinions about women.
Obvious statement: I am a woman
I have always been strong, assertive, direct, open, emotional, empathetic, romantic, individual. I have taken the position of leadership in many aspects of my work life and in a pastoral capacity at a previous church. I have signed with a record label and represented female leaders across the world in seminars, leading worship and song writing. I have never questioned my authority as a leader who is female, in the same way that I never questioned my authority as a female teacher, wife, or speaker. But I have found myself to be a ‘strong woman’ in a ‘man’s world’. This series is not about promoting female leadership. It is about women being acknowledged, respected and treated equally alongside men. It is my heart to see men treat women with respect with their language, submission and honouring spirit.
I am fascinated by the role of women. I am hell-bent on seeing all people (but particularly women) live securely, with the most healthy aspects of personality shining through, with core fears acknowledged and dealt with and the greatest freedom to be the greatest gift they can be to the people and world around them. Anything less robs us of who we are. A man who is strong and assertive, walking in the fullness of who he is is highly attractive and some may say ‘godly’. A woman doing the same is… a bitch. That is the truth I have come to know but it is not the truest truth. My friends have watched the path of my confidence in the woman I am bruising me with loneliness (at times) and the pain of watching people withdraw or find themselves ill-equipped in how to deal with me. I have softened as a result and I am much more fully steeped in grace after some life-altering choices. The questions that avalanched as a result were detrimental to who I was. I didn’t need to lessen who I was. My confidence was not pride, it was a stability in my sense of purpose and direction. I worked hard on knowing my values so that I would not compromise myself. It has been a wonderfully painful journey. I am quite a soft soul in many ways but I am adamant when it comes to any woman questioning their place or feeling any less entitled (and I use that work lightly because entitlement continues to rob us and our young people of character) in the work place, church, or any other context.
I cannot settle for man-made restrictions. Faith is freedom. The place and role of women must become unbounded. This blog exists essentially to tell my story and help others identify with the power of vulnerability and the redemption of a life where aspects could leave me trapped in shame and heartache. I have the most awesome privilege to be known by many and to know many, and so, in this series I get to introduce you to some very special people who will be a voice of hope and freedom into the life and role of women in our world.
Welcome to The Junia Dialogue. Join the conversation throughout the month of June as I welcome some great thinkers and writers but above all people I love who have a story to tell.
Éan Ceoil 