I have become a fan of Star Trek, Avengers and other Marvel movies as well as other space movies such as Interstellar, courtesy of my children. One scene in the last Avengers: Endgame movie touched me greatly: the scene where Captain Marvel is about to carry the sleeve of stones and all the women warriors, including a female iron man, join to escort her as they team together in her task.
It made me emotional to see a band of women stand shoulder to shoulder, not just to support one of their own when she needed help, but to participate in this task while the men were engaged in battling the strong man directly. Their partnering together with the band of men as a band of strong women to complete a crucial link that would turn the fight around enthralled me. Their rising up to say, “Here we are, ready to help you as we team together to preserve life as we all know it.” They rallied around to do their part, not content to simply stand on the sidelines as spectators, and stepped in to fill the gap that had fallen in a crucial time. What a picture of togetherness, oneness and commitment to the mission on hand!
Many women today somehow think and feel, despite being capable, like China dolls and dainty darlings who need petting, pampering and preserving. Mothers, especially, are in the dangerous profession of turning out insipid, weak daughters rather than strong women capable of spearheading a family, a company, a society and a nation. Out there in society, women are rising up to showcase their mettle, not as a challenge to or in competition with men, but as those complementing them to complete vital goals and projects.
In the Bible, we note the important role women played in the propagation and progress of the gospel. They ministered to Jesus with their substance, were last at the cross, were first at the grave, were first bearers of the Good News of the Resurrection, opened their homes to the apostles for the church to be established and so on. The Old Testament also has its share of women, such as Deborah, who led Israel into battle as a judge; Abigail, who with her quick thinking saved her husband, Jehosheba, who preserved the kingly line; Esther, who stood up to save her people; and many others who, according to the writer of the book of Hebrews, received back their dead, raised to life again. It is therefore clear that women have been traditionally, culturally, socially and biblically warriors rather than worriers.
Women of today have either a lethargic and lackadaisical attitude or a fight-for-the-sake-of-fighting feminist stance. There is a lack of sober judgment based on sound thinking, critical analysis and intuitive discernment. There is either a clinging, ivy-like attitude or a totally stand-alone demeanor, neither of which is productive or constructive. The beauty of woman is her innate ability to nurture, motivate, bolster, affirm and build up others even at great cost to herself. Balancing this is her automatic militant reaction to any threat, not to her person, but to whatever would hurt or harm her loved ones. Watch a mother hen bristle and rise up against anything that would come against her chicks. She runs to the defense, not caring for her own self, without any ideas for self-preservation, to take on a foe bigger and larger than herself just so her loved ones may be safe. Nature and instinct for battle to ensure protection are ingrained in a woman, whomever she may be!
Why then in the church do not women rise up to don the garb of a warrior, to battle for those worthy of being preserved and protected? Why do we whine and cry like damsels in distress, expecting some knight to rescue us like Queen Guinevere of Camelot, who sat in her tower waiting for Lancelot to come charging? Or like dancer Sivagami, who waited for the Pallava king to save her honor by waging a great war that cost many lives!
We are daughters of the Most High, fashioned to be “pillars carved to adorn a palace.” The Bible declares that “The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng: Kings and armies flee in haste; the women at home divide the plunder” (Ps 68:11-12, NIV). We are warrior princesses, not wrestling or fighting with people but with principalities and powers of darkness that scare, torture and enslave the weak and defenseless. We are not meant to throw up the towel or cover our heads and lament with wailing and weeping. We are called to rise up and battle for our own on our knees and in our minds.
We are not called to sit around ruing our lot, but when adversity hits us, we must rise to the occasion. We are not to be content to, as the nursery rhyme says, “sit on a cushion and feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream,” but must rise up in action to lay hold of our destiny.
No one likes trouble or problems, but life has a way of littering our paths with thorns, not roses. It is better not to sit around worrying about what you cannot change, for worrying only saps your energy and makes you useless to tackle the issue. The better option is to use the opportunity and the opposition to our advantage, which is to put on our warrior mode and lash out against the enemies who war against our soul, our family, our church and our nation.
It is better to be a boon than a burden or a bane to be borne or bailed by others! {eoa}
Sabina Tagore Immanuel is a counselor, content developer and author of Teach Us to Pray. Find out more at mullingspicewordpresscom.wordpress.com.
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