The application of roles to genders may have contributed to both the exploitation and value of both men and women. Certainly that is true as roles have been defined in history. The roles of breadwinner and soldier may have led to the exploitation of men: care of children and domesticity for women. Without a clear moral and ethical understanding of the serving purpose of relationships there will always be confusion in the giving/taking that maintains much in society leading to some exploitation of women, men and children in common contexts – to the disadvantage of this or that segment of society. It is in the nature of things that there is service needed that requires more of this person or group than that person or group. Fairness is an objective, and underlies even scriptural perceptions of our lives. In the fray that seeks fairness the concept of role assignments is sometimes seen as a barrier to fairness. Rightly understood/applied, it is not.
Two matters should be resolved before this discussion proceeds. First, there are roles which must be taken in an orderly society. Roles are not to be rejected just because meaning is violated. It is physically clear in the role of the father and the role of the mother in child generation, but the contributions are not equal. There is nothing in the defined context that makes the roles equal, although the persons are. The mother bears the larger physical burden for children. In history, fathers made up the difference in risks for the support and protection of the family. Dying soldiers were men. Followers fought for leaders. Second, there is no claim of superiority or inferiority in taking a legitimate role in society. The implication that one task is inferior to another is a distortion visited by man, not God. The best thing in the world one can do is the thing that he or she ought to do, that for which God has provided, both in nature and gifts to live our lives within his provision and to help others in living their lives in the provision made for them. In marriage and the family we make the matter practical in serving others to meet whatever God permits, even designs for us. Not only does the service concept of God mean that we serve others but that we are also served. A friend of mine, a college president, resigned his presidency to care for his wife who was declining in health. He did the right thing. Do we? Faithfulness to our appointment gets God’s grade.
With the revisionism of history, we forget that native tribes played havoc upon each other – the tribes of Central America murdered each other before the Spanish arrived. Even the colorful Hawaiians, peaceful and gracious in travel catalogs, fought wars. The same matters continue today with the vicious treatment that many Black Africans receive from Black Africans, and Islamics from Islamics. We forget that men and women lost their heads (including noble Sir Walter Raleigh) under Queen Elizabeth 1 of England, and we remember the ugliness of Henry VIII who had two of his wives beheaded – power roles gone awry.
What is the point? The point is that whether young or old, whether male or female, whether one race or the other, the human tendency is to distort systems. Not until there is an awareness of responsibility may the public expect that either the leaders or the followers will act in honorable and fair manner – in families or institutions. Mankind cheats on everything including God’s creative gestures if opportunity is present so leading to acts of unfairness. When the imperfect person is pushed hard, he or she will react in even more unsatisfactory ways than would have otherwise been the case. So a woman drowns her two infant children, a man beats his wife to death, even a child shoots his neighbor buddy from a bicycle. Until we recognize that Christ strikes directly at all these problems when he strikes against the depravity of the human heart, we will never understand, and we will never stop angry persons who bomb buildings, kill innocents, or simply leave their families, for selfish reasons. For good reason, ego must be managed. It is to the matter of forgiveness and reconciliation that Jesus speaks – reconciliation with God, with oneself and with those needing to serve with their life gifts. In greater fairness there must be the assurance of uses of life gifts. In the decline of patriarchal systems there has appeared the desire to share duty roles. From that positive orientation, well managed, there will emerge respect, leadership and each person’s place. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020