In the first creation story in Genesis, God creates humankind in God’s image, as the text reads, “male and female God created them.” The Hebrew word is adam, which relates to forming humans from the earth, or adamah, the Hebrew word for red earth. In this first story, it God may be beyond gender as God says “in our image” they are created.
So-called biblical literalists, however, unwilling to accept the fact that gender may be more of a social construct than a biological reality, are flooding state capitols with anti-transgender bills. A recent story in The Washington Post concerned several clergy asking the Missouri legislature not to criminalize their role as parents of children unsure of their own gender.
One would think that society is being flooded with transgender children, but only about 1.4 percent of young people actually identify themselves as trans. It seems the real fear here has little to do with the numbers but possibly with changes in our understanding of gender roles. In his time Jesus challenged such traditional ways of looking at gender roles. Perhaps so should we.
Prayer for the Day
In this day and time, God beyond our human boundaries,
Give us grace to see the infinitude of your creation;
May we not be confined by the limits we set for ourselves,
But expand our minds to reflect the world you created.
Grant, O Lord, that we welcome all your children,
As part of the world given us in all its forms.
In the name of the One who crossed all limits,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
It’s the imposition of one religious group’s gender norms on the rest of us. It’s theocracy and fascism.
- Rabbi Daniel Bogard, parent of a transgender child in Missouri
People claim their Christian faith is behind a lot of these [anti-trans] bills, and that’s been hard to grapple with.
- Rev. Jennifer Harris Gault, Mennonite pastor in Missouri
When God established the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there;
When God drew a circle on the face of the deep, made firm the skies above,
Established the foundations of the deep, assigned to the sea its limits . . .
Then I was beside God, like a master worker, daily God’s delight.
Proverbs 8: 27-30