‘Our ultimate freedom’

The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton explores the powerful message of resurrection and the role and place of women in the Easter story.

OUR Lenten journey into the wilderness is moving us towards Jerusalem, steadily walking onto the well-worn steps of Holy Week, towards the cross and beyond.

The story shared through the centuries is one of our ultimate freedom – the resurrection of lives thought lost forever, the reconciliation of our hearts from hurts hard to comprehend, the restoration of a peace and justice and love so complete that it heralds a final recalibration of the world’s unbalanced history. That is the hope held in the story and we are called to be part of that hope’s manifestation.

Wherever the body of Christ gathers, we have the opportunity to embody and empower that freedom, to offer our broken communities a path to reconciliation, and a relationship strong enough to acknowledge where we have knowingly and unknowingly suppressed others, and right ourselves.

Our reformed tradition calls us constantly to consider our direction of travel, to ask each other how the expression of our faith brings people on and how it might leave them behind.

It is said that actions speak louder than words, and I do not disagree; however, our words matter. And I have experienced from the inside out, one of the ‘historic norms’ that remains stubbornly embedded in our corporate expression of faith. There is still, all too often, a default towards exclusively male language in our worship and public professions. The imbalance is so deep, we sometimes fail to recognise it; and, when it is pointed out, too often defences go up rather than a genuine desire to listen and learn.

“ Looking at the Easter story through the lens of gender-justice and equity, it offers some thought-fodder for us.

There is so much to consider here – what does the constant feeding of one image do to our understanding of the multi-faceted, un-boxable Creator we worship? What does the constant uplifting of one image of the Divine do to our relationship with ourselves, each other and God? I find it deeply concerning that half of our children, when they are worshipping with us, do not hear themselves reflected in our words and worship. How might we unpack the deep and rich and diverse imagery in our sacred texts and in our lived experience to reach out more inclusively? Words are tools that help us express, not only our current reality, but the ideals we strive for. And, as I write this I realise, how we express ourselves will always need to reform – words and their meanings are never static, and we, as people of faith committed to loving and cherishing each other as much as God cherishes us, cannot be static either.

Looking at the Easter story through the lens of gender-justice and equity, it offers some thought-fodder for us.

The women at the cross remain at a distance. The gospel accounts differ as to who stood there, but amongst those mentioned were Mary, his mother, who carried him in her womb and her heart; and there were those who’d followed him from Galilee and had provided for him; among them, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Moses, Mary, the mother of Clopas, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons and Salome. The stories tell us that many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. Perhaps the woman who poured out an alabaster jar of expensive perfume to anoint him remained with him, her presence as palpable as the perfume that also lingered. In some early Christian writings and artefacts, Mary and Martha are there – once they sat at his feet and listened, now they stand at his cross and weep.

I can’t help but wonder if the women mentioned in those short verses in Luke (8:1-3) stood stoically by his side? Not only Mary, called Magdalene, but Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others who’d followed him as he proclaimed the good news throughout towns and cities, the ones who provided for him and his followers, offering their own funds to fuel his mission, what of them? I remember a profoundly moving discussion on the story of these women with colleagues from Bolivia, who said in Jesus, these women had found their liberation, and it was worth their everything. Were they there as the dream seemed to die?

And it would be the women who went to the tomb first. It would be the women who arrived at dawn to prepare his body, and it was through the women that news of his resurrection first came to the rest of us.

In the story later on Easter, only one of the two on the road to Emmaus is named – the other is a mystery, but most likely the wife of Cleopas. I wonder who else she was? It would be good to know her name too. It is uplifting and affirming to be named. Our world is a beautiful and diverse tapestry, God-given for us to embrace! Different races, cultures, sexual-orientations, all of us created and cherished by God and given to each other! In this story of resurrected life and a love that embraces everyone, I am drawn to reflecting on how our words have the power to free and to shut down. I remember attending a worship service not long after our granddaughter was born – a lovely service, meaningful, open and inclusive. But it was burdened with exclusive language – the hymns, the prayers, the text itself choked and tied to language that unintentionally (when I’m being gracious) yet undeniably denied women.

As I write this I realise, how we express ourselves will always need to reform – words and their meanings are never static, and we, as people of faith committed to loving and cherishing each other as much as God cherishes us, cannot be static either. One way to celebrate our unity as children of God is by cherishing and respecting difference.

My challenge to us all as we continue our journey towards resurrection is to uphold each other through our words and our actions, through our sacred stories and the way we tell them. Both speak loudly.

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a global holiday celebrated annually as a focal point in the women’s rights movement. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. It is a day dedicated to highlighting issues faced every day by women. I invite you to engage with their resources and to unpack conversations in your faith communities. www.internationalwomensday.com

I will also be looking for a small number of congregations willing to explore the power of words in worship by joining me in a timebound experiment. In this, we will consider how the intentional use of feminine and inclusive language over a period of time in worship impacts members’ understanding of the multi-faceted, un-boxable Creator we worship. We will explore the impact a more inclusive approach has on their relationship with themselves, each other and God. What might we learn together by opening ourselves to more gender-diverse language? There will be a questionnaire for the groups at the beginning, in the middle of our designated time and at the end, and time together (virtually) to discuss together.

The Easter story shared through the centuries is one of our ultimate freedom – resurrection of lives thought lost forever, reconciliation of our hearts from hurts hard to comprehend, restoration of a peace and justice and love so complete that it heralds a final recalibration of the world’s unbalanced history. That is the hope we hold.

If your congregation might be interested in joining such a group, please get in touch through the Moderator’s office at moderator@churchofscotland.org.uk