Equality in the Beautiful Image of God -- and the Ugliness of Violence Against Women | Sojourners

Equality in the Beautiful Image of God -- and the Ugliness of Violence Against Women

In every culture and in every part of the world, this injustice is present. What is the oldest injustice in the world?

It is the way that "we" view, treat, and oppress women.

As a young Korean man, I was influenced through the Confucian culture and worldview that women were born to serve their fathers as young girls, their husbands when they got married, and their grown sons when they were older mothers. Their lives revolved around men.

As a Christian man, I learned that women should be our "partners." They should be quiet, submissive, and know their place. Obey and honor their fathers, love and submit to their husbands, and raise godly sons and daughters.

Why didn't I learn that women and men are both created equal in the beautiful image of God? Why didn't I learn that through Christ, women and men can do all things through him who gives strength and grace?

I still remember a portion of this e-mail I received from a congregant couple years ago after a sermon I gave at Quest regarding women:

But at one point today, you said, "Women, you were created equal to men in the image of God." I mainly write because I don't know if you realize how powerful that statement was. I don't know if you realized what it would feel like to hear that statement coming from a man -- what it would mean to me, and possibly to other individual women and men. You didn't even say it to me individually