Gospel author Luke chronicles hardships or sins rulers constantly direct at Jesus, disciples, and others. Not wanting to lose heart amidst the sins and hardships, disciples ask Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Jesus replies, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted and transplanted in the sea,’ and it would do as you say.”
It is possible to put our faith in rulers and in their rule. But doing so perpetuates the hardships. It is also possible to put our faith in conquering and replacing rulers and their rule. But that too perpetuates the hardships with us as the perpetrators. Can we increase our faith in each other? Can we do so for the purpose of making powerful, life-giving change? Such faith is greatly needed at present, especially by women. Like early disciples, women need powerful change from the oppression of rulers, mostly men, hence called patriarchy. But rather than women putting their faith in making powerful change, some are oddly putting their faith in maintaining the rule of patriarchy. Some women seem to have faith patriarchy can be reformed; a softened rule, an increased minimum wage, lessened violence. These women have faith that if they join the patriarchy, they can change the patriarchy. But of course, it is the patriarchy that has already changed them, for example, into increasing their faith in it and service to it. Thus, we have women priests, women bosses, and women generals who may cause as many hardships and hinder as much powerful change than any of their patriarchal comrades. The increasing numbers of women rulers – politicians, capitalists, and military officers – is not evidence of women’s power. It is evidence of women’s diminishment – into patriarchy. That diminishment is evident in political imperialists like Liz Cheney and Hillary Clinton; in corrupt businesswomen like Heather Manchin Bresch and Elaine Chao; in violence accomplices like Gloria Steinem and Katey Zeh (abortion), Diane Feinstein and Claire McCaskill (prisons/death penalty), Taya Kyle and Sarah Palin (guns), and in warhawks like Liz Truss, Britain’s next Prime Minister. When asked recently about “giving the order to unleash nuclear weapons” and cause “global annihilation,” Truss grievously proclaimed, “I am ready to do that,” and was honored with applause. Patriarchy sent women an invitation to the King’s Ball and too many women never came home from the castle. Of course, some change from the hardships targeting women is better than no change. Change, of whatever magnitude, must come to patriarchies like Iran. It is one of many countries perpetrating hardships and horrors against women, for example, against Mahsa Amini. Iran’s patriarchal morality police detained Amini for disobeying their rule demanding women cover all their hair with a hijab. Police took her into custody for relocation to an ‘education’ center but witnesses saw her beaten to death by those same police. Police have called Ms. Amini’s death unfortunate. It is more than unfortunate – it is standard operating procedure in patriarchies; patriarchies that coerce us to put our faith in their rulers and in their rules while we are changed by them. Thus, some of the aforementioned U.S. women putting their faith in U.S. patriarchy have also been putting their faith in overseas patriarchies. One routine demonstration of that faith is wearing its hijab. They believe they are being respectful of a religion. They are – the religion of Militarism that devises patriarchy. It lures women to put their faith in a system that controls them. It makes women believe we can work for reform that is, at best, incremental, while living in service to that which binds us. Patriarchy deserves none of our faith. It is not a source of our power. Patriarchy is a germ of our diminishment. If only we had faith the size of a mustard seed. At present, women of Iran have such faith, in each other. They are saying to Iran’s version of patriarchy, ‘Be uprooted and transplanted in the sea.’ We will not be ruled by morality police. We will not wear the hijab. The women of Iran are asking us to have faith in them and in the powerful change they are making happen.
Faith is a power. It is the power of each of us. It is the whole of us believing and acting for the new life-giving way that is possible, and, through us, is happening. We say to rule, especially patriarchy, “Be uprooted,” for our faith is in our nurturing communion together.
Prayer: Spirit of Power, move us toward change.
Question: How is U.S. patriarchy coercing me to have faith in it and be of service to it?
October 02, 2022 Luke 17:5-10 Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time