The unity of true manhood and womanhood

Experience often argues that manhood and womanhood are in conflict. But there’s a spiritual basis for understanding the unity of manhood and womanhood that shines through the Bible, and it can be demonstrated today.

Christian Science Perspective audio edition
Loading the player...

There’s much talk these days about the need for a more positive masculinity. Many yearn to see the day when violence, bullying, and sexism aren’t treated by anyone as a normal or natural part of manhood. Ted Bunch, activist, educator, and co-founder of the organization “A Call to Men” is making efforts to nourish a “healthy, respectful manhood.” In a PBS interview he said, “We are going to lift [manhood] up.… this is not an indictment on manhood. It’s actually an invitation to men.”

I’ve been grateful for a more inspired, spiritual sense of the Bible’s message that I have found to be a source of guidance for uplifting anything, including the nature of masculinity and femininity. This understanding of the Bible is brought to light in a book that always helps to illuminate the deeper, spiritual meaning of its precious content for me – “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by the discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy.

This book points to the nature of God as divine Spirit and all men and women as truly God’s purely spiritual creation. The spiritual sense of the Scriptures it provides has shown me clearly and simply how a unity of qualities we think of as masculine and feminine makes up the nature of God.

For instance, a poignant verse in Psalm 91 speaks of the all-embracing gentleness and solid strength of God, divine Love. It says, “Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings,” as The Voice renders it. Fortifying this image, it continues, “His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you” (verse 4). In a similar fashion, “Science and Health” says: “Tenderness accompanies all the might imparted by Spirit” (p. 514).

The Bible has also taught me that the masculine and feminine qualities of God are expressed in each individual man and woman, as we are actually made by God, in Spirit’s image and likeness. Divine Spirit is the source of each of us, and understanding this naturally lifts up our concept of manhood to a spiritual basis that also lifts up womanhood, and vice versa.

One Bible story in the Old Testament is particularly helpful as an example of how any character trait that doesn’t come from God – including destructive behavior, aggression – falls away in the light of recognizing the spirituality that constitutes our real being.

In the account, Abigail, a woman of “good understanding,” is the wife of a wealthy man, Nabal, described as “churlish” or mean-spirited. Even though David (who would later become king of Israel) had shown kindness to his shepherds, Nabal decides to refuse David’s request for food, for himself and his men. David is affronted by this, and swears he will kill every man in Nabal’s household.

While he is on his way with sword in hand, Abigail, having been told of David’s intentions, fearlessly seeks him out with humility and meekness. Instead of reacting to the violent intent that seems to be consuming David, she appears to speak to his higher nature of mercifulness and pure love of good. She reminds him that evil hasn’t been found in him all his life.

David’s heart is touched, and he blesses her for stopping him from angry retaliation (see I Samuel 25:1–35). It’s clear that the pure Christliness and spirituality Abigail expressed had a profound effect, bringing out the same qualities in David.

A statement in Science and Health deepens this beautiful story for me: “The masculine mind reaches a higher tone through certain elements of the feminine, while the feminine mind gains courage and strength through masculine qualities” (p. 57). All of these qualities are embraced in the Christ, the full expression of God’s nature that Jesus embodied to the utmost and through which he healed and uplifted the lives of both men and women.

While there might not be someone as faithful and earnest as Abigail at hand to awaken everyone struggling with some willful or evil thoughts, the Christ is speaking to everyone, and we can know it is always at hand to break through the darkness of material beliefs with spiritual understanding. The action of Christ restores our spiritual sense and inspires within us more love and humility. False character traits can be disposed of as we see ourselves as God’s child, because in reality they are without divine power or permission to parade themselves as the nature of anyone.

As the dearly loved children of Spirit, we are each capable of grasping what’s inherent in every man and woman. Understanding the spiritual basis of true manhood and womanhood, both including the full spectrum of feminine and masculine qualities, helps bring more of these qualities to light in practice, too.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to The unity of true manhood and womanhood
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2020/0210/The-unity-of-true-manhood-and-womanhood
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe