I Only Want to Say This Once

Ever get tired of explaining yourself?Oh yeah. Me too!For example, when I tell someone I am for women I then must give the caveat, "When I say I am for women I am not saying I am against men." Nor does my ennobling women (lifting to nobility) mean I am for the lowering of men. We, men and women, are not on a teeter totter where when one goes up the other must go down.If that's true, and it is, then why do we immediate go there? Why do we assume being for someone means being against another. Especially when it comes to gender? Why must I keep giving that caveat?I'm for oneness of the body. I'm for men living as the full image bearers. I'm for women living out their full image bearing too. I'm for us, brothers and sisters, learning to do it together in oneness as the Scripture says.Genesis 1:24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. (I don't take the Genesis passage to only be about marriage but also about community)John 17: 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father and I am in you. And may they in us so that the world will believe you sent me."Unfortunately the world is broken. We have social structures, economics, culture and tradition that strips women (and men) of the fullness God intended. We need a fresh vision of what God meant for us when he said, "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1;27) God is done whispering - he's shouting for world to stop the damage done by our lack of understanding of what he meant (and the work his Son accomplished on the Cross!)There's gendercide in China, rape in Congo, child brides in Sudan, sex trafficking in Thailand (and at the Atlantic airport). And so much more. In these horrors both male and females are living less than God intended or his Son died for. There's work to be done.My part of that work is to ennoble women (raise to nobility). To help women see themselves accurately, not according society, culture, or tradition but according to the Gospel (ALL that Jesus accomplished when he got up on the third day.)Let this be the last time I have to say it. "When I say I'm for women I'm not saying I'm against men"I am not on a teeter totter nor are you.So don't make me say it any more.