The vocation of caring

I was born into and raised in the Baptist tradition. My Christian journey has been blessed beyond measure by that tradition. A part of that tradition is the great reverence for the Bible. Baptists tore themselves away from the authority of Popes, creeds, church bodies and preachers. We were left with only one tangible source of authority. We embraced the Bible. One tangible way we tied ourselves to the Bible was through memorization of parts of the sacred writings. I learned a lot of Bible verses. These passages were hid in my heart for an entire lifetime. I constantly encounter difficulties in the living of life, and a verse from the Bible pops into my consciousness. Galatians 6:2 is an example.

Galatians is from the pen of that incredible missionary, the apostle Paul. Thoughtful Bible readers argue with Paul quite often. However, there are times when he got things absolutely right. Galatians 6:2 says “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Paul believed strongly that the living of the Christian life was a community experience. Christians are to care about one another. The burdens of one become the burden of all.

In the era of the early church, male social, political and cultural dominance was strongly practiced. While women were at times given a place of respect, it was a male dominated culture with assigned roles. Women were property, and men were the owners. While Jesus surrounded himself with 12 male disciples, he plainly gave women places and roles that were well beyond the social norm. It is fair to contend that Jesus did not see male and female. Rather he saw people in community. Paul also walked against cultural standards and supported roles for women well beyond common social practice. He plainly taught that “in Christ there is no male or female.”

In the expansion of Christianity, men have not easily given up their dominant roles. In most Christian bodies, male dominance has been maintained in spite of the teachings of Jesus and Paul. Pressure for change has come often, usually from outside the church rather than from within. Male dominance in the church has been persistent.

It has now been about 100 years since women were given voting rights in the United States. Along with voting rights came equality in many other areas, but not really. Men have fought hard to keep women in traditional roles. It has taken 100 years for a woman to be selected as a candidate for president of the United States for a major political party. Many are cheering this milestone. Let there be no doubt. Women are capable of running governments and corporations. Does this mean that women are to abandon their more traditional role as compassionate care givers?

Is this what Jesus and Paul advocated In God’s kingdom on earth? Jesus and Paul did not advocate a dominance model for the Godly life. Rather they advocated a servant model. “If anyone would be great, let him be the servant of all.” When Jesus spoke these words, he spoke them to both men and women. When Paul wrote about bearing one another’s burdens, he was speaking to both men and women.

In our world and in Christian churches the servant/caring role has been undervalued. In the struggle for equality, women have sought the bitter fruit of power. It is the wrong goal. Power is not food for the soul of humanity. In fact, power is poison to our humanity. The transformation that is needed in our world is for men and women to abandon their thirst for power and to embrace caring as their vocation.

I love the word “vocation.” Like all words, it does not have a precise meaning. When the word is used, the context in which it is used must always be noted to understand the intended meaning. Almost always the word vocation is used to indicate what a person does that brings a wage or other satisfaction. The specifics are endless. Living as a Christian is about vocation. Vocation is what makes a person want to get out of bed in the morning. Caring is the great Christian vocation. Caring has no gender.

Caring, serving, and burden sharing are the vocations that will transform a person, a family, a community, a nation. Jesus taught it. Paul taught it. Christians are called to practice it.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister. He lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.