July 12 1999

ARTICLE TOOLS

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For Christmas last year Becky asked for a daily calendar of Bible verses. Doug re turned from our local Christian bookstore to report great difficulty in finding one for all people; most such calendars were either specifically for men or for women. Indeed, many items once considered common to all Christians—Bibles, devotional aids, worship music—are being packaged separately for men and for women. It is as though basic spiritual concepts and activities now need to be translated into two languages, one male and the other female.

We are mystified by such developments for we experience very similar struggles and concerns in our respective walks with the Lord. Yet if the accoutrements of evangelical culture are any indication, there are evidently a number of women and men who feel as if they are on separate spiritual wavelengths.

The proliferation of gender-specific products goes hand in hand with the popularity of gender-specific conferences. There we often hear that women and men have different psychological natures and different spiritual needs.

Perhaps the primary reason women and men are today drawn into separate fellowship is that, in society at large as well as in the church, everyone has become a bit wary of the other sex. Gender relations are so troubled that many of us want to escape into an environment where we can enjoy the camaraderie and support of those with whom we can feel emotionally safe.

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But is this how God wants us to go about dealing with our conflicts and differences? Is not Christ our peace? Didn't Paul teach that through Christ's death God has provided for our reconciliation by putting to death the hostilities between groups of people (Eph. 2:14–16)?

Whether culturally or biologically based, ...