#RedeemerRecommends - Women of Colour on the Word of God
#RedeemerRecommends - A book on Psalm 119 which you NEED to read, because of the quality of the devotionals, and because of the women that wrote them.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the bible, and when it comes up in a Bible in a Year or CBR reading plan, it can often be met with trepidation. This 176 verse poem is a challenge for even the most dedicated biblical scholar to read in one go!
And so I perhaps shouldn’t be surprised that His Testimonies, My Heritage - a series of devotionals based on the chapter - has opened my eyes to just what a glorious passage it is to read, especially when broken up into individual stanzas. Every section is a fresh reminder that in order to live a life which honours God, we must be those who are dedicated to his word!
The book includes an individual devotion for each of the 22 stanzas - or subsections - of the Psalm, interspersed with poems which are inspired by certain verses or passages.
Each devotion and poem is inspiring, challenging, eye opening, and that’s not all! Every chapter in the book is written by a woman of colour. This is one of the highlights of the book for me, the fact that the devotionals are written from a perspective from which we simply do not hear enough when studying scripture. Each of the women who have contributed to this collection brings personal testimonies and experiences into their writing, but also do an amazing job of reminding us that all Christians have a united hope and spiritual heritage rooted in the word of God.
We are living through a time in history where the unity shown within the church is a bright light amidst the darkness of division that we see throughout the rest of society. Reading this book has not only given me a greater recognition of the importance of the word of God in my life, but also has reinforced in me the importance of allowing men and women from every tribe and tongue to guide me in that study of God’s word.
I will leave you with a paragraph from the foreword of the book, written by Kim Cash Tate:
I could go on and on about this treasure. But I need you to dive in for yourself. No matter what your background or ethnicity is, you will be enriched by the window you gain into the lives of these amazing sisters in Christ. And you will be immensely blessed as they lead you, verse by verse, to a deeper understanding of this majestic psalm.
"Courage calls to courage..."
I am moved by the words of Millicent Fawcett - not so much by the words themselves, but their context.
Millicent Fawcett was a suffragist. She campaigned for equal rights for women, but shunned violence as a way of achieving it. In particular she advocated higher education for girls and women as well as arguing for women's enfranchisement. She wanted to ensure women were equipped to wield the power of the vote and to represent themselves and their wants.
But it's her words in response to the death of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davidson, at the Epsom Derby in June 2013, that have been chosen to be incorporated into her statue in Parliament Square:
"Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied."
Emily Davidson was a teacher and a passionate Christian and socialist. And she believed that violence was justified to further the campaign for women's suffrage, which led to multiple arrests and detention. (One of her fellow suffragettes described her as reckless in her militancy.)
In contrast Millicent Fawcett, widow to a Liberal MP and herself a political campaigner for women's right to vote since before Emily was born, did not support violent protest: "I can never feel that setting fire to houses and churches and litter boxes and destroying valuable pictures really helps to convince people that women ought to be enfranchised," she said.
So, two women campaigning for the same end from two very different points of view and using very different methods. Emily the passionate militant. Millicent the political activist. One fighting from outside the political establishment and one working from within.
And it's their differences that make Millicent's response to Emily's death all the more striking. Millicent recognised a resonance with the courage shown by Emily and the power of her sacrifice.
Historians will debate the strength of the impact of their respective positions and activities. Millicent's view was simple - Emily's courage could not be denied. And I have no doubt that Millicent was emboldened to persevere for the first (albeit limited) suffrage of women in 1918, the same year in which (some) women were permitted to stand for parliament.
As a country we have much to thank the suffragettes and the suffragists for. They saw an injustice and sacrificed years of their lives campaigning to overturn it.
IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US ISN'T IT.
What are you passionate about? What do you pour your time and energy into? What stirs your courage? Where will you speak out and not be denied a voice? Where will you make a difference?
I pray that you find your courage and that you hear the call of others with the same courage and passion and that you take strength from them.