Judges 5:10 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
Oh Friends, more sunshine and spring-like weather is in the offing! Wow! It’s been quite a few days now. Let’s be hopeful people, but don’t get our hopes up too high, for it’s highly unlikely that March, the month likened to a lion with its cold, blustery winds and frigid temps will just pass through this year like a lamb. There are still 22 days to go. Anyway, yesterday was International Women’s Day, and I’m a tad late, but having read a wonderful quote attributed to one of Canada’s famous authors, Lucy Maude Montgomery, writer of such books as Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, I had to write something on the topic. And also because the sad plight of women is perhaps nearest and dearest to my heart. I don’t know if that’s from living most of my life mainly among women, and seeing the unnecessary nonsense they have to put up with. In this supposed forward thinking 21st century, women are still being treated worse than cattle in the Third World and like second class citizens in the First World. Say what you want, but the facts speak for themselves. Look around our modern society and see how many women are really at the top of the big corporations? Not many. The proverbial glass ceiling and the old boy’s network are still there keeping them down. And even when given a glorified title, it’s generally in some inane department like Public or Human Relations, where no real meaningful decisions are made. Have you noticed Friends, that whenever you read or hear of some announcement from the Public Relations section, the majority of times it comes from a woman? In these supposed enlightened times, we still drag out the implausible, stupid excuses about women not being able to have a top notch career and be a good mother at the same time. But a man can do it and be a good father. Rubbish! Women in the lower echelons have been doing it for eons, so why can’t the ones at the top do it too, especially when they will obviously have more perks and advantages? And what about all the technological advancements now in place, can’t those be used to help the female corporate leader? Then we have the unexplained differences in remuneration for females and males doing the same work with the same qualifications. Why is that still rampant eh? Oh Friends, it’s time for all this injustice to cease. It’s time for women to stop bearing the brunt of the dirty work without the proper compensation. Many men still believe that a woman’s place is in the home, making and raising children, washing, cooking, cleaning, burdened with household duties, living in subjection to the male ego, and being thankful for it too. Steups! If that’s your thing, fine, to each her own. But if you choose to rise to the top of the corporate ladder your path should not be blocked or you shunted aside to some lesser post just because you’re a woman. In our modern society women are still looked upon too much as sexual objects. Check out any rap video, where the men are covered from head to toe while the women are always half naked, and it has nothing to do with the song, just using the sexual flavour to sell it. Consequently, the morals and values of many young women today are sadly very low or non-existent. And the sad part too is that many of these men who have this superior attitude aren’t even worthy to tie the bootlaces of some of the women they abuse or suppress. They are just a setta fool-fool men, but because deh name man, they think it’s their god-given right. Chuh nonsense! And I’ll get to Lucy Maud’s quote now. Her son Chester claims that she once said: ‘I have no desire to be equal to a man. I prefer to maintain my superiority.’ Bravo, Lucy Maud! And it’s no lie Friends; women are superior to men in many aspects. Consider how many men can be pregnant, yet go to work every day and still competently run a family with several small children hanging on to their apron strings? It’s also been proven that women are emotionally stronger than men. This thing about women crying at the drop of a hat is only something they concocted to control men. The same goes for their use of things like sex, clothes and jewellery. A woman can control a man with her little finger if she so desires, and yet allow the man to feel big and macho. And here’s another thought; ‘Behind, before or beside every successful man is a sensible, understanding woman.’ And that’s a fact. Successful men need sensible, understanding women to help them along. But what really annoys me Friends is these backward, paternalistic societies where women are treated like chattel and are still considered totally expendable. I’m talking of societies where they aren’t even allowed an education; are married off to whomever the parents choose, sometimes the highest bidder; where they are blamed and punished for sexual misconduct while the men involved suffer no backlash; where they are aborted as a foetus in preference to men, who are more cherished; where they are easily and knowingly sold and used as sex slaves; burned alive with their dead husbands, or forced to endure terrible poverty as widows. Oh Friends, there are so many ways in which the female of the species is still being abused in our world that it makes one want to hold their head and bawl, ‘Why Lord, Why?’ Men bear much of the blame, but women must bear some too for too readily accepting the status quo and not standing up for their god-given rights. I know it’s not an easy situation to conquer, but unless women of all walks of life, especially those with some authority and power, in tandem with the sensible, true Christian men amongst us, get together and put an end to the systemic abuse of women in all societies, it will continue. And per Today’s Bit: ‘Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent,’ that refers to a woman in the days when judges ruled Israel. In fact Deborah, a woman was the judge at that time. The Lord raised her up to guide Israel, proving that women can be good rulers too. Anyway, at that time the Canaanites had Israel under control, but between Deborah and Barak, the leader of the Israelite forces they regained their independence. The story goes though that while Barak was chasing the Canaanite captain, Sisera, he ended up in Jael’s tent. Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk and treated him lordly. Then when he fell asleep, she hammered a nail through his temples then cut off his head. (Judg.5:25-27) That’s why she earned a place in the Song of Deborah and Barak. Women of the world, and sensible, Christian men, it’s time for us to unite and rise up against the forces of evil that insist in ill-treating our women folk so that those to come will not suffer the same indignities. I know this will offend some macho men and frivolous women, but that’s okay. I can handle it. I know this Bit might also be a tad disjointed and incoherent, but when writing from the heart, as I’ve done, those things aren’t important. What’s important is that we live up to our talk as true followers of Jesus, and He would never consent to the way we treat our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters. So let’s try and improve it nuh. Much LOVE!…talk is cheap…but walking takes guts…
Oh Friends, more sunshine and spring-like weather is in the offing! Wow! It’s been quite a few days now. Let’s be hopeful people, but don’t get our hopes up too high, for it’s highly unlikely that March, the month likened to a lion with its cold, blustery winds and frigid temps will just pass through this year like a lamb. There are still 22 days to go. Anyway, yesterday was International Women’s Day, and I’m a tad late, but having read a wonderful quote attributed to one of Canada’s famous authors, Lucy Maude Montgomery, writer of such books as Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, I had to write something on the topic. And also because the sad plight of women is perhaps nearest and dearest to my heart. I don’t know if that’s from living most of my life mainly among women, and seeing the unnecessary nonsense they have to put up with. In this supposed forward thinking 21st century, women are still being treated worse than cattle in the Third World and like second class citizens in the First World. Say what you want, but the facts speak for themselves. Look around our modern society and see how many women are really at the top of the big corporations? Not many. The proverbial glass ceiling and the old boy’s network are still there keeping them down. And even when given a glorified title, it’s generally in some inane department like Public or Human Relations, where no real meaningful decisions are made. Have you noticed Friends, that whenever you read or hear of some announcement from the Public Relations section, the majority of times it comes from a woman? In these supposed enlightened times, we still drag out the implausible, stupid excuses about women not being able to have a top notch career and be a good mother at the same time. But a man can do it and be a good father. Rubbish! Women in the lower echelons have been doing it for eons, so why can’t the ones at the top do it too, especially when they will obviously have more perks and advantages? And what about all the technological advancements now in place, can’t those be used to help the female corporate leader? Then we have the unexplained differences in remuneration for females and males doing the same work with the same qualifications. Why is that still rampant eh? Oh Friends, it’s time for all this injustice to cease. It’s time for women to stop bearing the brunt of the dirty work without the proper compensation. Many men still believe that a woman’s place is in the home, making and raising children, washing, cooking, cleaning, burdened with household duties, living in subjection to the male ego, and being thankful for it too. Steups! If that’s your thing, fine, to each her own. But if you choose to rise to the top of the corporate ladder your path should not be blocked or you shunted aside to some lesser post just because you’re a woman. In our modern society women are still looked upon too much as sexual objects. Check out any rap video, where the men are covered from head to toe while the women are always half naked, and it has nothing to do with the song, just using the sexual flavour to sell it. Consequently, the morals and values of many young women today are sadly very low or non-existent. And the sad part too is that many of these men who have this superior attitude aren’t even worthy to tie the bootlaces of some of the women they abuse or suppress. They are just a setta fool-fool men, but because deh name man, they think it’s their god-given right. Chuh nonsense! And I’ll get to Lucy Maud’s quote now. Her son Chester claims that she once said: ‘I have no desire to be equal to a man. I prefer to maintain my superiority.’ Bravo, Lucy Maud! And it’s no lie Friends; women are superior to men in many aspects. Consider how many men can be pregnant, yet go to work every day and still competently run a family with several small children hanging on to their apron strings? It’s also been proven that women are emotionally stronger than men. This thing about women crying at the drop of a hat is only something they concocted to control men. The same goes for their use of things like sex, clothes and jewellery. A woman can control a man with her little finger if she so desires, and yet allow the man to feel big and macho. And here’s another thought; ‘Behind, before or beside every successful man is a sensible, understanding woman.’ And that’s a fact. Successful men need sensible, understanding women to help them along. But what really annoys me Friends is these backward, paternalistic societies where women are treated like chattel and are still considered totally expendable. I’m talking of societies where they aren’t even allowed an education; are married off to whomever the parents choose, sometimes the highest bidder; where they are blamed and punished for sexual misconduct while the men involved suffer no backlash; where they are aborted as a foetus in preference to men, who are more cherished; where they are easily and knowingly sold and used as sex slaves; burned alive with their dead husbands, or forced to endure terrible poverty as widows. Oh Friends, there are so many ways in which the female of the species is still being abused in our world that it makes one want to hold their head and bawl, ‘Why Lord, Why?’ Men bear much of the blame, but women must bear some too for too readily accepting the status quo and not standing up for their god-given rights. I know it’s not an easy situation to conquer, but unless women of all walks of life, especially those with some authority and power, in tandem with the sensible, true Christian men amongst us, get together and put an end to the systemic abuse of women in all societies, it will continue. And per Today’s Bit: ‘Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent,’ that refers to a woman in the days when judges ruled Israel. In fact Deborah, a woman was the judge at that time. The Lord raised her up to guide Israel, proving that women can be good rulers too. Anyway, at that time the Canaanites had Israel under control, but between Deborah and Barak, the leader of the Israelite forces they regained their independence. The story goes though that while Barak was chasing the Canaanite captain, Sisera, he ended up in Jael’s tent. Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk and treated him lordly. Then when he fell asleep, she hammered a nail through his temples then cut off his head. (Judg.5:25-27) That’s why she earned a place in the Song of Deborah and Barak. Women of the world, and sensible, Christian men, it’s time for us to unite and rise up against the forces of evil that insist in ill-treating our women folk so that those to come will not suffer the same indignities. I know this will offend some macho men and frivolous women, but that’s okay. I can handle it. I know this Bit might also be a tad disjointed and incoherent, but when writing from the heart, as I’ve done, those things aren’t important. What’s important is that we live up to our talk as true followers of Jesus, and He would never consent to the way we treat our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters. So let’s try and improve it nuh. Much LOVE!…talk is cheap…but walking takes guts…
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