Two recent events stand out for me. One was a panel of women of faith. I walked two blocks to the event with the driver of the car parked ahead of me. She herself was an amazing woman. I was so glad to hear her voice.
Rose is writing a paper on the ordination of women in the Catholic church. We discovered we had both read “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene” by Karen King, which posits that Jesus’ real message was hijacked – by men – officially in 325 AD, and has been mostly buried ever since. What remains is what men have permitted, and what remains missing is the voices of women.
The women on the panel – a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic sister, and the (woman) president of the Islamic Society of North America – made warm, yet serious, presentations about the roles of women in their faiths.
But what stuck with me most was Rose’s courage. Her heart tells her that Jesus’ ministry was very woman inclusive. Her church tells her women are excluded from giving sacraments. She follows her heart in an uphill struggle.
The other event was Friday morning’s 44th Annual Greater Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. A wonderful Gospel choir sang throughout.
This choir with the descriptive name of “Harmony, Hope, and Healing,” functions to give back to marginalized women their voices. These women, primarily from shelters, are survivors – women who have recently escaped abusive situations. Violence had silenced their voices, and this joyous choir helps them find the songs their lives are intended to be.
Their final number, “This little light of mine,” strongly confirmed the choir’s success in achieving their goal. The showcased soloist proved that she had indeed found her voice, and used it to improv for her Lord – as she soared all over the treble staff and beyond. She followed her heart and found the courage to let her light and her voice shine.
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