05-10-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 10, 2024
Mercy Amba Oduyoy is a theologian from Ghana. According to Christian Century, Oduyoy “consistently raises her voice to insist on men and women’s equality in a culture that endorses values of communal care and wholeness but fails to demonstrate them toward its own women. At the same time, her theological voice asserts the full value of all people in the church.” Christianity was not born in America, though it has been influenced by some very western thinking. Oduyoy sees the scriptures through her cultural eyes, and her perspective and some of what she receives from the scriptures are quite fascinating.

One of her well-known quotes is,

“It is hard for women to be the healers when they are also wounded.”

Whenever a culture diminishes someone for their gender or anything so critical to who they are as a human being, it is very difficult to give of oneself. Women, in most every culture, have taken on so many essential responsibilities that have been devalued and spoken of in disparaging ways. Yet even in this undercutting of their value, women have found themselves doing the work of healing and caregiving and so many other indispensable tasks for the wellbeing of the family and community. 

God, who gifts every human being with gifts for the purpose of healing creation, we acknowledge how we do not honor certain gifts as we should, and we do not honor every human being as we should. As we celebrate your image upon every human being and your Spirit within every life-giving gift, the world in which we live will move closer to your dream put forth in the prophets, the sages, and Jesus. Amen.