In this episode we discuss some follow up from last episode’s interview with Danielle Strickland which addressed issues of patriarchy within church and society. A lot of our discussion this week was on the difficulty of addressing the deep, ingrained stuff, the stuff we grew up with and which has shaped us. We are all products of, what one correspondent calls our ‘silly teenage dramas’. It’s life-long work dismantling this kind of stuff.
We also discussed how that affects issues of masculinity. I’m rather conflicted on this one. I do believe there are differences between men and women (I have, after all written a book on ‘Men, Midlife, Spirituality and Sheds’) but I’m not really sure where those differences lie any more. Or how helpful it is to generalise about them.
It used to be argued that if women were in charge of the world it would be a kinder, more nurturing place. I’m not really sure the evidence backs that up – although, admittedly women haven’t been given much of a chance to try it. I think it’s more likely that there would be just as much corruption, bad leaders ship and hunger for power as now, only perhaps expressed in a different way. And if you don’t believe me, I give you the Post Office scandal. Or Aung San Suu Kyi’s defence of the army’s actions against the Rohingya.
It’s not just about gender but about power. Danielle talked about the need for the powerful to give more power to the powerless. Whatever marginalised or oppressed group we’re talking about, that is surely the call from the gospels. “The last shall be first,” Jesus said.
So I think what I’m taking away from this is the need to pass on power. Not that I have much to give away, admittedly. But to recognise situations where someone in the room might be feeling powerless or unacknowledged, and to do whatever I can to make them feel present and heard.
Also, Joe and I had what we loosely termed a business meeting. In a pub, of course, in Upham.