This week at FUSION Gathering we talked about gender stereotypes. It is pretty easy to fall into using these stereotypes in our culture. We began with a little game of pictionary where each team had various occupations to draw. Often, when we are given occupations like nurse, flight attendant and teacher we automatically think of females. And when we are given occupations like doctor or pastor we automatically think of males.
We took a look at a youTube video of a girl who's little brother loves to cook and wanted an easy bake oven. However, the easy bake ovens were only marketed to girls: they were pink and purple and only had pictures of girls on the boxes and in the commercials. So the little boy's older sister petitioned Hasbro (the toy maker) to come up with new packaging to include boys and girls. Hasbro responded and now make an easy bake oven that is more gender neutral! You can check out her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHESKyxrxJM
We then took at look at John 4:27-30, 39-42 of the story of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus was challenging all the culture's rules about how men and women should interact with one another. Jesus was willing to break his culture's gender-based taboos to reach out to all of God's children. And then, in a culture that did not value a woman's testimony, the Samaritan woman became one of the earliest evangelists! Jesus broke through gender stereotypes and calls us to do the same! In Paul's letter to the Galatians (3:26-28) we see that though we are all different and unique, we are all one in Christ! Our differences should be celebrated not ridiculed because we are all precious to God.
Have you ever been told you can't do something because you are a guy or a girl? Know that God loves you and will often call you to do things that some people may have a problem with. Let us be like Jesus and go against the cultural norms to reach out, love and help all those around us!
