Originally published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 22, 2006.
It's been close to a month now, but the gladness lingers like a hum in the air. The call came while I was eating lunch. It was my friend, Beverley Elliott, an Episcopal priest, calling to tell me that the House of Bishops had just elected the new presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. I could hear the laughter in her voice.
Before I could ask who it was, she sang out: "It's a woman!" Katharine Jefferts Schori --- 52 years old, with a Ph.D. in oceanography, ordained for only 15 years and a bishop for just seven years --- had just been elected to the highest office in the Episcopal Church, the first woman ever to hold the office in the history of the United States.
Even as I write this, I can feel the chill that went through me when I heard the news. In the split second it took for my mind to digest the meaning, my body had already responded with a resounding hallelujah. Just a few days earlier, I had been thrilled to learn that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also had elected a woman --- Joan Gray of Atlanta (not the first woman but an excellent candidate) --- to fill the position of moderator, one of the two top spots in their denomination.
Two outstanding candidates, both women, recognized by an assembly of their mostly male peers as gifted, graced and called to lead their churches in a time of pain and deep division. It was indeed good news --- good news for women, good news for men, good news for the church, good news for the world.
But why such a visceral response in me? Was it that women were finally "in the lead"? No. I don't believe women are inherently better (or worse) leaders than men. Was it because they had been elected not by other women but by an assembly composed largely of men? That was certainly welcome news, but that still wasn't it. Was it because I believe women have an aptitude for healing fractures and would tend to be more collaborative, more skilled at coaxing people out of their entrenched positions and into more promising conversations? Perhaps.
But I think the real reason I was so thrilled was because in both cases, as far as I could tell, gender never factored into the equation. It was totally irrelevant! These leaders weren't chosen because they were women; nor were they chosen in spite of being women. They were chosen because they were qualified, superbly qualified. Both are people of vision and courage and wisdom and grit and humility and humor and deep dedication and a keen sense of calling.
What made my cells ring was that these events fueled an abiding hope in me and many others that men and women would one day come together as peers and allies. What if it was no coincidence at all --- two women being elected within days of each other to top positions in major Christian denominations --- but a signal that the times were changing. For real. Once and for all. There would continue to be holdouts, for sure, places where qualified people would be disqualified because of their anatomy. But those days wouldn't last forever. God's spirit was being freed to blow where she/he will, unbounded by stereotypes.
I'm reminded of an article I read recently about the marriage of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Right up front, Jimmy Carter says that in the early days of their marriage he was the boss. He led the way. Rosalynn's job was to follow along and make it all work. Looking back, he freely admits to being "embarrassingly domineering." But that was all he knew.
Over the years, thanks to their great love for each other and Rosalynn's willingness to speak up for a more creative and equitable arrangement, they were able to dismantle the "Me Tarzan, you Jane" contract, and renegotiate a way of being together that gave equal weight to the needs, talents, dreams and desires of each of them. Today they enjoy a marriage of deep mutuality and respect. The abundant fruits of their partnership speak for themselves.
So it would seem, if we read these elections as a sign of the times, that by God's good grace and our own willingness to be converted, our distorted lenses are being removed and we are being given eyes to see one another for who we are. The gifts of God for the people of God are being freed to flourish wherever they are found. And if that isn't cause for a resounding hallelujah, I don't know what is.
It's been close to a month now, but the gladness lingers like a hum in the air. The call came while I was eating lunch. It was my friend, Beverley Elliott, an Episcopal priest, calling to tell me that the House of Bishops had just elected the new presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. I could hear the laughter in her voice.
Before I could ask who it was, she sang out: "It's a woman!" Katharine Jefferts Schori --- 52 years old, with a Ph.D. in oceanography, ordained for only 15 years and a bishop for just seven years --- had just been elected to the highest office in the Episcopal Church, the first woman ever to hold the office in the history of the United States.
Even as I write this, I can feel the chill that went through me when I heard the news. In the split second it took for my mind to digest the meaning, my body had already responded with a resounding hallelujah. Just a few days earlier, I had been thrilled to learn that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also had elected a woman --- Joan Gray of Atlanta (not the first woman but an excellent candidate) --- to fill the position of moderator, one of the two top spots in their denomination.
Two outstanding candidates, both women, recognized by an assembly of their mostly male peers as gifted, graced and called to lead their churches in a time of pain and deep division. It was indeed good news --- good news for women, good news for men, good news for the church, good news for the world.
But why such a visceral response in me? Was it that women were finally "in the lead"? No. I don't believe women are inherently better (or worse) leaders than men. Was it because they had been elected not by other women but by an assembly composed largely of men? That was certainly welcome news, but that still wasn't it. Was it because I believe women have an aptitude for healing fractures and would tend to be more collaborative, more skilled at coaxing people out of their entrenched positions and into more promising conversations? Perhaps.
But I think the real reason I was so thrilled was because in both cases, as far as I could tell, gender never factored into the equation. It was totally irrelevant! These leaders weren't chosen because they were women; nor were they chosen in spite of being women. They were chosen because they were qualified, superbly qualified. Both are people of vision and courage and wisdom and grit and humility and humor and deep dedication and a keen sense of calling.
What made my cells ring was that these events fueled an abiding hope in me and many others that men and women would one day come together as peers and allies. What if it was no coincidence at all --- two women being elected within days of each other to top positions in major Christian denominations --- but a signal that the times were changing. For real. Once and for all. There would continue to be holdouts, for sure, places where qualified people would be disqualified because of their anatomy. But those days wouldn't last forever. God's spirit was being freed to blow where she/he will, unbounded by stereotypes.
I'm reminded of an article I read recently about the marriage of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Right up front, Jimmy Carter says that in the early days of their marriage he was the boss. He led the way. Rosalynn's job was to follow along and make it all work. Looking back, he freely admits to being "embarrassingly domineering." But that was all he knew.
Over the years, thanks to their great love for each other and Rosalynn's willingness to speak up for a more creative and equitable arrangement, they were able to dismantle the "Me Tarzan, you Jane" contract, and renegotiate a way of being together that gave equal weight to the needs, talents, dreams and desires of each of them. Today they enjoy a marriage of deep mutuality and respect. The abundant fruits of their partnership speak for themselves.
So it would seem, if we read these elections as a sign of the times, that by God's good grace and our own willingness to be converted, our distorted lenses are being removed and we are being given eyes to see one another for who we are. The gifts of God for the people of God are being freed to flourish wherever they are found. And if that isn't cause for a resounding hallelujah, I don't know what is.