Declaring it as being a hilarious answer to who wears the pants,

Transcription

1 Declaring it as being a hilarious answer to who wears the pants, the popular movie, Adam s Rib, focuses on the life of a happily-married middle-aged couple. Their marriage becomes strained as they come head-to-head in court. Here the husband serves as prosecuting lawyer while the wife serves as defense lawyer in a head-line making criminal case involving a wife who attempts to murder her unfaithful husband. Made in 1949 and starring the illustrious Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Adam s Rib is a post-war attempt to highlight the battle of the sexes as it examines sex-role stereotyping and the emerging debate about the rights of women. Katherine Hepburn is well known for her strong female character roles and some have even described her as a 20 th Century feminist icon. Indeed, Hepburn s role as Queen Eleanor in the film The Lion of Winter and her role as an impulsive, perhaps even fanatical sister of a missionary in The African Queen come to mind. But its Hepburn s role as the spirited, adventurous tomboy, Jo, in the film, Little Women, that puts Hepburn on the map. As a member of the March family, Jo, along with her sisters, Meg, Amy and Beth, struggle to make ends meet with their faithful mother as their father is taken off to fight in American Civil War. In today s reading we go back to a magnificent, ancient story as recorded in the Book of Genesis. We are not dealing with scientific explanations here - and we are not dealing with history. For the poignancy and the wonder of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, meaning origins or beginning, is that they take us into the realm of etiology or a reflection on causes and origins. Here Biblical texts give a reason for rather than a concise scientific analysis or a clear historical record. And this does not mean they are in any way less true - no way! For truth can be discerned and understood in many ways!

2 (2) The story of the Garden of Eden is a case in point. It s a most profound story offering us a way of understanding the significance of human origins and the way things are today. Next week we shall focus on humankind s relationship with God, the primal act of disobedience, the origin of sin and the nature of suffering. These are really big questions - so be here next week! Meanwhile, today we focus on the origin of humankind and the creation of man and woman. Like so many biblical texts, this story requires an effort on our part to reflect and to carefully interpret what is really being said. This is where Katharine Hepburn s characters come into play because so often the text we read today is taken literally as man being created by God and woman being created out of man to be his assistant, even his servant. And this leads to notions of hierarchy, patriarchy and even, at its most ugly extreme, the exploitation and abuse of women by men. Genesis 2 presents us with an account of the creation of a human being. Here the Lord takes the dust of the ground, forms the man or ha adam (in Hebrew) and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life. It s important to note here that the text of the Bible actually refers to a being that has no gender. What s created, in this case, is a human creature. This is effectively a creature of the ground as the term ha adam is related to adamah or earth. This human creature is placed to live in a glorious garden. However, we are told, it is not good that the man should be alone. So God forms animals of all kinds to keep this creature company. But the creature or the man is still lonely. A deep sleep then comes over the man and Genesis 2 tells us that God took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And from this rib God makes a woman who becomes, for the man a helper and a partner. Now, how are we to understand this?

3 (3) We begin here with the man and we conclude man and women. In the original Hebrew text of the Bible the man or ha adam becomes ish or male and ishshah or female. In other words gender identity develops only after the rib of the man is removed. Male and female, men and women, both sexes emerge at the point where earth creature or the man s body is torn apart. Women are not created out men. Rather women and men have common origin in the man, in the ha adam or in the human creature. Here the man s rib requires some attention. For the term rib really means side. Indeed in other parts of the Bible the Hebrew tsela or rib is translated in terms of two equal parts or sides. Hence in Exodus 27 there a reference to the two sides of the altar while in 1 Samuel there is reference to the side of a mountain. This means the original text of Genesis and tearing out of Adam s rib really refers to the act of God separating the original the man to create male and female, men and women. And this is why there is reference to bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. For, male and female, men and women, as we are today, are created equally from the one source. This challenges popular conceptions in some circles that the creation of female is somehow dependent on the male gender or is indeed gifted from the male of the species. Moreover, reference to helper in verse 18 often leads to the idea that women are created to be men s assistants. Again, reference to the original Hebrew text indicates that helper or the Hebrew ezer does not denote a subordinate relationship. Far from it, for in other parts of the Bible God is actually described as helper or ezer. In Deuteronomy 33, for example, God is the helper who protects God s people against their adversaries while God is presented a constant helper to the faithful in many of the Psalms. And so it is with God s creation of male and female. Women are created as equal partners. Women are created as companions. Indeed women are created to strengthen, empower and to even to protect their menfolk! Friends the point being made here is that male and female, men and women, are created simultaneously. And male and female are, not only equal, they are created for one another. The essence of what God is doing here is to fashion deep relationships, foster close companionship and bless equal partnerships. I believe the Creation story in Genesis 2 seriously challenges the subordination of women or the idea that males are in any way superior. The story gives credence to references to my other half when a husband speaks of his wife. And so references to my significant other and my soul mate also make real sense here.

4 (4) So, relationships, companionship and partnership are all very significant. For, while Genesis 2 is often referred to in the context of our understanding of marriage, the underlying point here is that, not only does God create male and female, men and women, to complement one another, God creates humankind as a whole for the purpose of living in relationship and building community. Let me explain. Someone once asked why did God create us? And the reply came because God was lonely. For you see, God loves community. God is a God of relationships! And when you think about it it does make sense. In the Bible God is known in terms of covenant. This means God is a God who enters into relationships with people and with communities. Here God is a covenant God who engages, who empowers and who acts to sustain God s people through thick and thin. This covenant is expressed in God s promise to Abraham where a special relationship is established with a particular people and nation. It is demonstrated in the giving of the law, a blueprint for living (that we refer to as the Ten Commandments) to Moses. And it is lived-out in the sending of Jesus who is the bridge or the one who brings us into true fellowship with God. Moreover, the very nature of God, who we speak of in terms of Father, Son and Spirit, is about relationships. For the Father, the Son and the Spirit are equal identities. They are complimentary, they are mutually dependent - one upon the other. And they are indistinguishable beyond each other. The Father cannot be Father without the Son and the Son cannot be Son without the Father. Likewise, the Spirit cannot be Spirit without the Son and so it goes on. And here God as Father, Son and Spirit exist in what we may refer to as a dynamic, interactive, complementary community. In other words, the very nature of who God is and how we understand God is expressed in terms of relationships. It is based on family and is grounded in the act of being community! And this means we are all created for relationships. Indeed, I believe to be community and to enter into complementary, mutually dependent relationships is part and parcel of our DNA!

5 (5) Often this is expressed most emphatically in terms of marriage. Indeed, marriage is a vitally important gift to us. It s a fundamental way of living in relationships. It is a significant way of building family and living in community. This is why we must constantly uphold, value and encourage God s gift of marriage. But I believe there are many other ways of expressing relationships and entering into community. Not to be married or to become a widow or a widower does not mean we are denied the privilege of living in meaningful relationships. Indeed, not to be in an active married relationship should never suggest we forfeit the joy of being community. Jesus never married. Neither did that enigmatic St Paul. And in today s world it s vitally important we consider what it means to live in relationship and to participate in meaningful community - in many different ways. A favourite movie of mine is the 2003 production, Love Actually. It begins and ends in the London Heathrow Airport arrivals hall as people meet and greet, as friends and family are united and reunited. The movie is all about companionship. It s about community and being family in all sorts of ways. With a host of some of my favourite film stars including Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kiera Knightly, Hugh Grant and Bill Nighy there are nine intertwined stories that explore what it means to be in relationship with the other. Here the movie focuses on the suave British Prime Minister who falls in love with his cockney junior staffer. There is the caring sister who devotes her life to supporting her mentally ill brother. There is the jaded rock-star who is backed-up by his fledging promoter. There is the greiving widower who is committed to raising his troubled stepson. There is a company director whose marriage comes under stress after making a fool of himself with his alluring secretary. And there is the most delightful story of Jamie and Aurelia. After a break-up with his unfaithful partner, the charming but shy Jamie encounters Aurelia. She is Jamie s Portuguese housekeeper - and Aurelia wins his heart! Language differences mean they can t really communicate but that doesn t stop them. Jamie learns Portuguese, goes off to Aurelia s homeland and, in front of the whole village, proposes to her. In broken English and with the enthusiastic applaud of the crowd, Aurelia responds so very poignantly - thankyou, that would be nice.

6 (6) Friends, God is a God of relationships. We are created for fellowship with God and with one another. We are created as beings who are mutually dependent on one another and on God. We are -who we are - because we are designed to relate to others, we are made to share with others and to be in community together. This may take many different forms. But, in all of this, God is present. In all of this, God sustains us. God nurtures us and God encourages us. For this is what we are created for. This is what we are created to be. Thanks be to God! Amen. John Barr