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Hello everyone! I am so excited about this upcoming blog series! This theme has been on my heart a long time. I needed time to listen, glean, read, and process before putting anything in final form. I have learned to be patient and take my time. The time has now come to tell you what I have learned and believe to be true. As always, I will welcome discussion and even disagreement. I want to start today with an introduction to give you an idea of what I will tease out over the next several blogs. I haven't decided quite yet if this will be a 3 or 4 part series. I will let that unfold as the Lord inspires me. I think the best way to get started today is to answer three questions. Let us begin.
What exactly will this blog series be about?
The answer isn't a simple thing we humans can achieve but it is possible because Jesus Christ made it so with his death and resurrection. In this blog series, I want to show you through the written word, His intended purpose for relationships between men and women, and more importantly how they relate to one another and their families from a redemptive and pre-curse Genesis 2 perspective.
What will be the focus of the individual written discussions?
We will look at three things over the course of this series; 1) The ideas and Biblical references that support current ideas such as Complementarianism and Egalitarianism, 2) The history and influence of pagan and cultural contexts we call “Biblical manhood and womanhood” and why they don't work, 3) the role of Feminism as a parallel movement, and 4) What Jesus truly intends for us as redeemed men and women in this time. His intention is better than any human idea. He transcends history, time, culture, and tradition. His ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. Everything that has been “baptized in His name” did not originate from Him nor was He considered in its uttering or practices. In the course of this series, you will see the role that the desire for power has played in our relationships as well. All is not what it seems.
What is the end goal of this series?
The goal of all of my writing is to showcase the heart of God for people – both inside and outside the church. This blog series is as much for the Church as it is for those outside the church body. You won't have to go to church or be a Christian to see the heart of God for men and women by the end of this series. Truths have been mixed with lies, customs, tradition, and culture that have given us a jaded view of relationships between men and women in the 21st century. I want to untangle all of the lies and misconceptions in order to present to you a redemptive story for men and women through the eyes of Jesus.
I hope you will choose to join me on this journey of discovery in the weeks ahead. I want to close today with the Holy Spirit-inspired thought that sparked this search for truth: God made men and women in His image to reflect Him in distinct and equal ways. He made them to stand together as the great Lion and Lioness do in the Wild of the world. He made them to stand together side by side and back to back, not to stand alone.
Heading into the Wild,
Elizabeth