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Bible
Study 2 "Celebrating Hope and Life through Social Action" |
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Bible
Study 2 "Celebrating Hope and Life through Social Action" |
I Samuel 25:2-42
I want to dedicate this Bible Study to the women, who are mothers of US soldiers and of young civilians and soldiers from Iraq who died and continue to die in this futile war:
When to the war they sent your 22-year-old soldier son
To a land far away…to a war that he did not want to fight
Another senseless war!
Weep no more, dear woman
God knows that you weep
And She weeps with you!
Mother, dear mother I will remain silent no longer
I wept brave tears with you
As you received back from this war your dead son
To bury him before he had the chance to live
Another senseless death!
Weep no more, dear woman
God knows that you weep
And She weeps with you!
Mother, dear mother, I will remain silent no longer
I wept brave tears with you
Your 22-year-old son shot dead for being an Iraqi who dared resist
In a war that destroyed your country, a war you did not want
Another senseless death
Weep no more, dear woman
God knows that you weep
And She weeps with you!
Mothers, dear mothers, women all, let us remain silent no longer
Let us refuse to lose our sons, our brothers, our husbands, ourselves
Violence will never end violence; wars only take young lives
Let us sing the song of justice
Let us dance the dance of peace
Because I know God sings and dances with us.
Celebrating women in struggle….
I begin the Bible Study today by bringing into our midst some amazing women in our world who celebrate their strength and hope by always choosing alternative ways to struggle for justice and peace. The key word here is the alternatives – they opt to protect life and justice in a non-violent way.
The first story is from Riga, the capital of the Baltic country of Latvia. The time: it is November 2001 – a few weeks after the attacks on the twin towers and on the Pentagon and after the retaliatory war against Afghanistan had begun. The main character: Alina Lebdeyva, a 16-year old school girl. Her action: she strikes three times, the royal cheek of the visiting dignitary Prince Charles. Her weapon of protest: a red carnation! “I did it because I am protesting British involvement in the bombing of Afghanistan and Latvia’s attempt to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization”, she said. The police claimed she is a “well-known-activist”. Alina Lebdeyva from Latvia had a simple message for Prince Charles, for her own government and for world powers – war cannot bring about peace; neither can it ever end terrorism. The repercussions of a policy of using violence are so grave that no country, no people can remain untouched by it. If a 15 year old school girl could be a “well-known activist”, we know that the voices of many people, particularly of the young are not being heard. The louder sounds of war and of arrogant might are drowning the voices of protesters – we remember the millions of people who were on the streets, all over the world, earlier this year trying to stop the war. I want to here acknowledge and salute the women of the US, particularly women of the churches, for your courageous and strong voices and actions in protest of the war. Your position on the war gave women all over the world a strong sense of hope. Let me take this opportunity to thank you for that.
The second example from women is what is happening in Somalia, a country that has been at war for over a decade leading to the death of thousands of people and a lot of suffering particularly to women who are always the primary victims, along with children in these conflicts. The war has been sustained by traditional tensions between the different clans. After many protest marches and demonstrations for peace, the women demanded that representatives of the 5 clans come together to negotiate a peace deal. Largely because of the pressure from the women the peace negotiations were initiated, but without the women present. As it is all over the world, women in Somalia are not often considered “leaders” and therefore were not invited. The women were anxious that the negotiations would break down and so the women of all the 5 major warring clans in the country came together and under the banner of the Sixth Clan they have insisted that their representatives too be invited to the negotiating tables for peace. They have formed themselves into this Sixth Clan, because they say they have had enough of the male dominated 5 clans, which in their estimation are not really interested in overcoming the violence and working for peace. The women by forming a sixth clan formed from all the so called warring clans, have broken through traditional “enemy” lines that normally keep people, including us as women, divided.
Another is a story of courage and perseverance from India. Some 10 years ago the fishing community in India organised a national struggle against the mechanisation of fishing. They knew the damage that the introduction of fishing boats and trawlers and other technology would have on the life and livelihood of traditional fisher folk as well as its effects on the healthy environment of the sea. In one part of the country 5000 fisher folk were taking out a non-violent protest march as part of the national struggle. An over-zealous and brutal police officer decided that the protest must be stopped and gave orders to his men to shoot at the protesters. This disturbed the orderly march and there was confusion as the fisher folk began to retaliate violently. As I have said earlier violence only begets more violence. The women among the fisher folk intervened to stop the violence. A few of them fell at the feet of the policemen and clung to their feet and begged them to stop the shooting. They did stop it - though it is important to note that it is not always so easy to stop the brutality of policemen who are trained to be ruthless and "trigger-happy". But in this case the action of the women worked - the women demonstrated that vulnerability is indeed power.
All the women I have brought into our midst demonstrate that women often act in non-violent and alternative ways. The vulnerability of the women and their “power in their powerlessness” is what gives them security, they have demonstrated. So as to celebrate the courage of these women and to inspire us to reflect on the theme of the day I have chosen a text from the Old Testament and a woman's courageous actions for the sake of peace with justice. The woman is Abigail who breaks many accepted norms and expectations in order to stand for what she believes - the liberation of her people.
I was happy to see that Joyce Hollyday has devoted a chapter to Abigail in her book Clothed With the Sun, the bible study material for this Seminar. To me, as a Third World feminist theologian, Abigail is important because she symbolises the wisdom of women who have to daily negotiate with patriarchy and take courageous oppositional stands often against their own husbands so as to engage in social actions.
But now let us look carefully at the text. Abigail is described as "clever and beautiful" (v. 3) – in other words she is recognised both for her physical beauty and for being wise. Her husband Nabal is described as "surly and mean" (v.3). We are told in the text that he is a Calebite, a descendent of one of the tribes of Israel, who are a rough working class peasant community, referred to as ill-mannered people.
If I may briefly retell the story as recorded in I Samuel. David sends his men to Nabal in Carmel to get the things necessary for the celebration of the Feast day, as they are in the middle of the wilderness and did not have access to anything. The request made by David to Nabal is polite and is not unreasonable. Nabal's response in v.10 is surprising and un-neighbourly. He refuses David's request and goes to the extent of even challenging the authority of David - "Who is David?" he asks. On hearing this David's response is impulsive and extreme. He calls on his men to prepare for war (v.13). His male ego is hurt and he prepares to retaliate in the only way he knows i.e. militaristically. 400 men march towards Nabal, with their swords drawn, fully prepared for war. A young man, a servant of Nabal, runs to Abigail with this news. He asks her to intervene, as they know that Nabal cannot be approached, "he is so ill-natured that no one can speak to him". (v. 17). They know that there is going to be an unnecessary war.
Abigail acts swiftly and prepares to intervene in this crisis. She takes with her all that is necessary for David and his men to celebrate the feast (v.18) and goes to meet him. Here we encounter a verse that is very difficult for many women (certainly in India) to understand. The church has nurtured women to follow the Pauline demand of "obedience", the authority of the husband is final women are told. In v. 19b we read that Abigail decides to intervene. "But she did not tell her husband, Nabal". Abigail is breaking traditionally expected regulations of her society too. (We remember what happened to Queen Vashti for disobeying her husband in Esther Ch.1). But then, I am sure that the fisher women who stopped the police firing, or the women of the 6th Clan, or the women who marched on the streets of Washington DC did not wait to get their husbands’ permission either! Too many women, in too many contexts in our world have been silenced by patriarchal concepts of obedience to authority, however corrupt or inefficient or even unfaithful this “authority” may be. They could be husbands, political leaders, clergymen and other leaders in the church etc. I want to hasten to add that I am not romanticising or “essentializing” women nor do I want to demonise all men – but I would underline that patriarchy has given unequal power and authority to men over women in all our societies.
Abigail believes that she must intervene, in spite of her husband and she goes to meet the mighty David who is marching with great anger to meet Nabal. He is so angry that he plans to kill all the males - it is total war that he is prepared for. (v. 22).
In v 23 we read that Abigail falls at David's feet and with very strong words pleads with him to desist from the senseless violence. She goes to the extent of taking the blame for her husband's behaviour (v.25). She plays at David's guilt by warning him that the blood of the victims will be on his hands. David's anger against Nabal is going to take the life of many innocent people. Then in vs.28-31, we read that she blesses David, if he will avoid the violence - a simple, powerless woman blessing the mighty David. We know that he is still not crowned king but she takes it on herself to let David know that the Lord is going to bless him with a strong kingdom. Verse 29 that includes part of her blessing particularly fascinates me. She blesses David with long life in God's protection - the words she uses are "the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living under the care of the Lord your God". The bundle of the living a biblical scholar told me refers to the kangaroo's pouch where the young ones are nurtured. Here, in this context, it is a powerful image of the mothering womb of God - God, as mother will protect David in God's womb, she is saying.
David is converted by the "good sense" (v.32) of Abigail. She has managed to deflect his anger and his determination to be senselessly revengeful (v.33). He commends her for her foolish courage - coming to confront him unarmed and alone, when he and his 400 men were marching with swords drawn, ready to kill. David learns a great lesson from this beautiful and wise woman. (Later in vs.39-42 we read that he marries her - her wisdom and courage, which must have been the qualities that made her beautiful - these are noticed by David).
We read again in the text what happens to Nabal in vs.36-38. Abigail finds him feasting and drunk as if he was unaware of the grave danger he was in. Once again Abigail uses her wisdom and does not speak to him when he is drunk - it is no use to do that, she realises. When on the next day, he hears from Abigail what she has done "his heart died within him and he became like a stone" (v.37), and about 10 days later he dies. He dies because he cannot accept that his wife, a powerless simple woman, has intervened on his behalf - his male ego is hurt. He would have preferred to have a war to prove his physical prowess - it is too humiliating for him that a woman, with no sword and no power should have intervened on his behalf. Perhaps he was thinking of what people will say about him and his authority. Again I remind you of what happens in Queen Vashti's story (Esther 1:16-22) - the king is so angry with Vashti that he sends out a royal order that a law be instituted to ensure that “all women will give honour to their husbands, high and low alike” (Esther 1:20 b). The king sent letters to all the provinces decreeing that “every man should be master in his own house.” (v 1:22b)
Is it not this great desire of men and of nations to prove physical and military power that is causing all these wars in the world? There is no space for peaceful negotiation, for vulnerability - both sides in times of conflict want to prove that they can win, that they are the more powerful - so much of innocent life is lost in the process. Tragically, there are no winners in wars – all are losers, because all lose lives, and all engage in the senseless destruction of property.
What does this teach us about our role as Christian women engaged in social action? What does it mean when we encounter authority and power? Should this not be our purpose to have the courage of Abigail? Each of you brings with you your own struggles and actions in your own contexts. Diakonal/welfare/charity ministries of the church in which women are often the backbone are indeed important in such times as these and just as Abigail did (v.18) we need to offer our skills as women in serving and nurturing life with compassion and love.
But then, I ask, is there not a greater demand on us? Do we not as women draw strength from our Biblical faith that leads us into a liberated existence so that we can challenge the forces of death that seem to be gaining power in our world. How do we recognise that what “we see through our windows” (as it was described yesterday) is linked to the global levels of injustice? Do we recognise the interconnectedness the interdependence in our world? How do we ensure that it is not enough that we struggle for a good quality of life for ourselves without recognising the injustice this implies for the world – for example the access to clean water? The privatisation of water by US based water bottling companies and its privatisation means virtual death to many of the poor in our world – how do we make these connections. Corporate globalisation, external and odious debts, unjust trade relations in the world and the unregulated flow of capital; racism and the violence of hatred and fear of the “other”; homophobia; environmental destruction; the reduction of healthcare, educational benefits and other social welfare benefits and the increasing budgets for defence and security… these are some of the issues we need to address. But, then we need not feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks; small steps by each one can take us together towards transformed societies. I leave these as words of encouragement and may Abigail and the women we have encountered today inspire you as you discuss in the seminars, issue groups etc. the social actions that you can take, each of you in your own local context.
Justice, Peace & Creation Team/Women
World Council of Churches - Geneva
