Why do I have to cover my hair when in worship? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because it is written that I must? Oh, do you not read Scripture with contextual understanding?
Am I, then, a disgrace if my head is uncovered but my dress still modest? Are you assigning a certain costum onto me - that has no relevance right now - just because I belong to a certain gender? Why are we expected to have our dupattas draped over our hair then? And why only us, women?
Don't teach me to cover myself with a shawl over my head. Teach me, instead, to cover myself with humility, respect, love and compassion. Don't teach me about women submissiveness. Teach both the men and the women about the same humility, respect, love and compassion.
Teach us both to stand in reverence and have a heart of purity as we stand in worship beside each other, facing the same altar. Teach us to bear with each other despite our differences - teach us to allow women who choose to cover their heads during worship to do so without any judgement and respect those who choose not to, again, without any judgement, for the Lord sees more of the heart and less of the appearance. Teach us that we can all worship the same God in different ways.
But may be, change takes time. We're all people who love holding onto what we're taught is right and less acceptable to change. We're scared of revolutionary ideas and revolutionary people. We fear the rebels, regardless of their cause. But last time I checked, Martin Luther was the Father of the Protestant faith and Mahatma Gandhi the main reason for our independence. But because of this fear and the eyes of judgement over women who can take control, I still hold onto my traditional way of standing during worship. I still cover my hair with a dupatta, unwillingly, for the choice, well, it isn't mine.
1/10/17
Good goin... much appreciation... write more...!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! You write so well, I almost feel someone has entered my mind, captured my thoughts and put it in writing. This is exactly how I feel too!! Keep writing, best wishes to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you❤️
DeleteThis is just wonderful!!felt every word of it❤
ReplyDeleteHey Ferin! Thank you ❤
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