Who will write our story?
Sitting at the airport or even in a restaurant It can be fun to write the stories of those I observe. Yet, even then I have to examine the assumption I am making based on age, race, dress, physical attributes, or other social constructs. For example, sitting across from my table. Is a young man, age 14 or so sitting with a younger woman who could be his mother and two older women? He seems to have an easy relationship with all three of the women. I imagine him to be a good student, a leader among his peers, and adored by these three women. He seems well spoken, has a mind of his own and seems to know he will be listened to. I have no idea who his father is or if he has two mothers.. He appears Caucasian and English seems to be his first language.
I have to ask myself what story I would tell if he were a different race, was less well spoken, did not have a very traditional, neat haircut, his skin was not so clear, or he was not so well proportioned.
So far, writing the story of these three women and the young man has not done any harm. Yet, if I am writing their story based on these superficial assumptions, I have to ask myself how often I do this with people I meet and with whom I interact. How often do I write the story of someone I meet without ever listening to and hearing their story?
It has been said that we are our stories. The story we tell ourselves are influenced or affected by the social constructs and the labels which others assign us and, which, we are prone to internalize; especially If we hear them often. The story we tell many of our African American neighbors, our neighbors of different religions, or those who live in the big house and drive an expensive car is often much different than the story we tell ourselves.
One has to wonder what changes would ensue if we actually listened to and heard our own story - not the story others have assigned to us . One has to wonder what changes would ensue. If we actually listened to the stories others tell us; not the stories made up of social constructs, fears, hopes, and the. dreams of others for us.
Who are we? What is our story? Sometimes our story is explicitly written on the basis of our gender, sexual orientation, race or some other characteristic. If not careful we will adopt this story or spend a lifetime reacting to it which in essence makes it our story. On the drive to this restaurant to meet friends I heard one such story. Apparently, Beth Moore, a bible teacher, is a rock star who has written dozens of best-selling book, has a large media following and, when speaking, packs sporting arenas and big-name churches. Yet, other. Southern Baptist leaders such as Owen Strachan who is professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., unashamedly says “For a woman to teach and preach to adult men is to defy God’s word and God’s design.” R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky said in a podcast “There’s just something about the order of creation that means that God intends for the preaching voice to be a male voice,”
Apparently Beth Moore is not adopting these sexist tale as her story. Yet, all too often we allow others – church leaders, parents, other relatives, teachers, and well-meaning friends to dictate our story. We have to choose and live our own story and honor the right of others to live their story. We might, however, want to limit the leadership roles in some organizations to leaders who do not attempt to be such dictators.
Written June 11, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Sitting at the airport or even in a restaurant It can be fun to write the stories of those I observe. Yet, even then I have to examine the assumption I am making based on age, race, dress, physical attributes, or other social constructs. For example, sitting across from my table. Is a young man, age 14 or so sitting with a younger woman who could be his mother and two older women? He seems to have an easy relationship with all three of the women. I imagine him to be a good student, a leader among his peers, and adored by these three women. He seems well spoken, has a mind of his own and seems to know he will be listened to. I have no idea who his father is or if he has two mothers.. He appears Caucasian and English seems to be his first language.
I have to ask myself what story I would tell if he were a different race, was less well spoken, did not have a very traditional, neat haircut, his skin was not so clear, or he was not so well proportioned.
So far, writing the story of these three women and the young man has not done any harm. Yet, if I am writing their story based on these superficial assumptions, I have to ask myself how often I do this with people I meet and with whom I interact. How often do I write the story of someone I meet without ever listening to and hearing their story?
It has been said that we are our stories. The story we tell ourselves are influenced or affected by the social constructs and the labels which others assign us and, which, we are prone to internalize; especially If we hear them often. The story we tell many of our African American neighbors, our neighbors of different religions, or those who live in the big house and drive an expensive car is often much different than the story we tell ourselves.
One has to wonder what changes would ensue if we actually listened to and heard our own story - not the story others have assigned to us . One has to wonder what changes would ensue. If we actually listened to the stories others tell us; not the stories made up of social constructs, fears, hopes, and the. dreams of others for us.
Who are we? What is our story? Sometimes our story is explicitly written on the basis of our gender, sexual orientation, race or some other characteristic. If not careful we will adopt this story or spend a lifetime reacting to it which in essence makes it our story. On the drive to this restaurant to meet friends I heard one such story. Apparently, Beth Moore, a bible teacher, is a rock star who has written dozens of best-selling book, has a large media following and, when speaking, packs sporting arenas and big-name churches. Yet, other. Southern Baptist leaders such as Owen Strachan who is professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., unashamedly says “For a woman to teach and preach to adult men is to defy God’s word and God’s design.” R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky said in a podcast “There’s just something about the order of creation that means that God intends for the preaching voice to be a male voice,”
Apparently Beth Moore is not adopting these sexist tale as her story. Yet, all too often we allow others – church leaders, parents, other relatives, teachers, and well-meaning friends to dictate our story. We have to choose and live our own story and honor the right of others to live their story. We might, however, want to limit the leadership roles in some organizations to leaders who do not attempt to be such dictators.
Written June 11, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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