What are you prepared to die for?

A few weeks ago I went to the cinema with my sister to watch the movie Selma. It was supposed to be a fun day out with a sister I don’t see nearly as often as I would like, but as usual, God had more than just entertainment in store for me. I am the kind of girl who cries at movies, even when I know full well that the characters are fictitious and the storyline is somewhat far fetched. Most times I can’t help myself, so I try to hide my embarrassment behind glasses that are not really essential for a good viewing experience. And yes, you guessed right. I cried when I watched Selma. But this was different.

On many levels what Martin Luther King went through in his fight for equality for the African American is more than you or I will ever go through. The courage and tenacity that he possessed to keep fighting even when it seemed all was lost may be more than will ever be required of us. But while we may not be called to fight at the same level or on the same scale he did, I believe that the same requirements of courage, boldness, tenacity, perseverance and pushthroughitiveness will be required of us at points in our lives if we are to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

One question remained with me long after the taste of the potato chips had disappeared and I had left the darkened comfort of the cinema hall.

What are you prepared to die for?

What are you prepared to give your life for?

And I realised that while fighting for gender equality is my passion, I am not sure I am prepared to die for this cause. Following on from this realisation came the obvious next question – “why not?”

Being a feminist has never been popular in Christian circles. In fact, the very word conjures up pictures of a bra-less, sword-wielding, man-hating activist. Many women prefer not to be labelled as a feminist.

And yet, if you feel a holy outrage when you see a woman treated with anything less than the honour, respect and dignity that God intended when He created woman, then to all intents and purposes, you are a feminist.

So I ask you the same question I ask myself, “What are you prepared to die for?” Or perhaps a more relevant question would be:

What are you prepared to be ridiculed about, ostracised for, lose sleep over, use your talents to advance, or fight for? If you are prepared to die for a cause then the chances are that you will live for it. You will give your gifts, talents, time and prayers for it.

As I look at what is happening in Christendom as well as in the secular world, I can only believe that the fight for this generation is a fight for the equality of the sexes. A bit like many years ago in Western nations when it was the fight for racial equality. You and I have a choice, just like the people of Selma had. We can fight side by side with other women across the world;  sex-trafficked women, financially oppressed women, side-lined women leaders in churches, as well as working women who have to settle for less pay than their male counterparts in order to keep their jobs.

Or we can choose to stand in the comfort zones of the sidelines and watch.

Either way, the battle rages on. And it will be won eventually, because it is God’s fight, just as the battles against slavery and racism are God’s wars.

I hope that you will choose to join the fight even if it means you wear the label ‘feminist’. Not the kind of feminism that popular belief still ascribes to, but the kind of feminism that loves men and believes that our fight is alongside them, not against them. This is a stance that is willing to give up the perks of popularity if that’s what is required, and refuses to hide behind a mask that chooses not to express an opinion on the matter of gender equality.

What are you prepared to die for? The answer might surprise you.