Seeker

Who are the "two women on the very edge of things"? They could be almost any two - most women in the world are on the edge, powerless or unnoticed. But my title is from Malcolm Guite's sonnet 'The Visitation' published in his collection 'Sounding the Seasons' . The two women in that sonnet are Mary the mother of Jesus and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. 31 May is a day to celebrate the visit that the young pregnant Mary made to her much older and more pregnant cousin Elizabeth. You can read the story in Luke 1: 39-56 . I love the sculpture shown in my photograph taken in the courtyard of the Church of the Visitation at Ein Karem in Israel. Sometimes art conveys more than words can. This is not just an old story of long ago. The miraculous pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth may be unique but so much of their experience is a universal story. It is repeated many times the world over when old and young women without power support and help

What has Mary of Bethany's Story got to do with the women bishops issue in the Church of England? I think it's relevant because it is one of many examples in the gospels of how Jesus treated women. Jesus' attitude to women is one of the strongest arguments for both women and men sharing leadership in the church. On the Big Bible Project I write monthly about women in the gospels. My post there on 14 October 2012 was about Mary of Bethany. You can read it below (especially if you prefer large font) or you can read Mary of Bethany's Story here. *********************************************** Mary of Bethany was a woman who didn't conform to acceptable behaviour for women in 1st century Jewish society. Had she always been like that? Or was it because of Jesus? It's true she was quiet, but you don't have to be noisy to be rebellious or a bit of a pioneer. The stories about this Mary are among my favorite gospel stories. Mary of Bethany lived with

There are some really horrible stories in the Bible. This is about one of them.  Today's name in the Anglican calendar is 'The Beheading of John the Baptist'. You get the picture? This is not going to be a fun post. Digitalnun has posted a reflection on this here that is well worth reading. Mine takes a different angle, a focus on the women involved.  What follows is what I wrote over on The Big Bible Project. It was published there  on 14 August 2012 under the title: Women Behaving Badly Will the inspiration of strong young women who achieve their goals be an enduring Olympic legacy? I hope so, but sadly, women who achieve what they want aren’t always positive examples.  Most women in the gospels provide positive inspiration. Their stories are good news, as are those of so many female athletes. But this is the post I’d rather not write in my ‘Women of the Gospels’ series – but here goes. Who gets the prize for ‘bad’ female role model in the gospels? The o