Prov3110

The Bible may be one of the bestselling books of all time, but for many groups, it’s a tough sell—especially feminists. You don’t get 3 chapters into it, the First Couple gets kicked out of Paradise—and the guy proceeds to blame it entirely on the woman.  Lots of women are identified only by their relation to a man (Lot’s wife, Peter’s mother-in-law), and many get no identification at all, including two heavy hitters–the woman who washes the feet of Jesus with her hair, and the woman from Canaan who seems to take Jesus to a different level of awareness.

Female heroes are there too, and there is a brief highlight in some versions with a section named after a woman.  But the book of Esther is sometimes belittled because it’s the only book in The King James Bible that doesn’t use the word God.  This shouldn’t take anything away from the courage Esther showed in speaking up to authority, but alas.

I understand its critics, but I still wish the world would reconsider a citation from the book of Proverbs.  You’ve likely heard this at a Christian wedding, and,  if you’re at all like me, you shudder at the beginning, since it praises women based on their ability to make their husbands look good.  I appreciate the importance of married folks supporting one another, but if your goal is to laud someone’s virtues, it may be best to focus on the person, not on their partner.

Happily, things really get going after that.  Many people look at this selection convinced the author is thanking women for keeping a nice house.  I see it as a series of qualities that make for a better world both in—and well beyond—the home:

She shows she’s not afraid of a hard day’s work.

She possesses, and has mastered, myriad skills.

Those who cook don’t just put any old thing on the table.  She has an eye for quality.

If she has to put in extra hours to do a quality job, that’s no big deal.

She demonstrates skill in commerce and industry by surveying land—land which, at the time, she likely couldn’t own herself.

She values health by staying fit.

To her, weather is what you dress for, not what determines your ability to get things done.

She believes in personal integrity.

She doesn’t gossip.

She gives thanks for all she has by sharing it willingly with others.

This perspective expands the writing, since it doesn’t limit the praise to housewives, and not just to women.  What a different world we would have if everyone—women, men, everyone—aspired to demonstrate these qualities, and succeeded.

One more thing.  Historically, most women had three occupations to choose from – housewife, teacher, and nurse—but I’m not sure where we got the notion any of these jobs were blowoffs that didn’t require brains, compassion, and commitment.  Teachers show up for work at 7, even though school starts at 9.  For every 5 minutes a doctor spends with a patient, a nurse is with them for 12 hours.   And we have Martha Stewart (and likely, our moms) to thank for tearing the roof off the notion that housewifing is more about bonbon eating and TV watching than hard work.

Cultural history is loaded with assumptions and practices that make us look back and wonder just what people were thinking at the time.  Thankfully, we’re now in a spot where we can reconsider those assumptions, and where women can demonstrate these qualities in every walk of life.  Proverbs Chapter 31 is worth a good revisit.

Threes

Celery onions and green peppers
Mean a lot to New Orleans cooking.
Ford GM and Chrysler
Make my hometown purr and growl
Literally.
Tinkers Evers and Chance
Made a kid’s game
The national pastime.
Jesus Mary and Joseph
Are an Irish household staple.

Moments of reflection
Best work
When they are more of sky
Than earth.
So maybe we call these important triples
Titanium triangles
And let Holy Trinity
Have its place
For those who revere this way.

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