Jephthah’s Daughter: The Dangers of Patriarchy


After her death, Jephthah’s daughter is remembered by the daughters of Israel, but does the biblical narrative of her death attempt to praise her for simply being an obedient daughter? If so, should one be satisfied with celebrating adherence to patriarchal values, especially when it had disastrous results? Is justice served to this daughter of … Continue reading Jephthah’s Daughter: The Dangers of Patriarchy

The Woman of Thebez and a Stone of Remembrance


While we may not remember the heroic woman of Thebez, she was remembered in Israelite history, particularly by those engaged in battle. In the story of David and Bathsheba, David commanded Joab to send Uriah to the front of the battle so that he was sure to be killed. After the battle, Joab sends a … Continue reading The Woman of Thebez and a Stone of Remembrance

Blessed Are the Nameless


How many times a day are we on social media checking to see how much interaction there is on our posts and tweets? Are we becoming obsessed with trying to be an influence in the sphere of social media? In a world where we vie for likes and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and … Continue reading Blessed Are the Nameless

The Timnite Woman: A Wedding and a Funeral


While walking down the aisle on one’s wedding day, most are envisioning a happy and joyful future. What happens when the wedding processional of the soothing cadence of “Canon in D” instead becomes a prelude to a funeral pyre? The Timnite woman did not experience wedded bliss, instead she was thrust into a situation where … Continue reading The Timnite Woman: A Wedding and a Funeral

Remembering Her Fragrant Faithfulness


Between the conspiring of the religious leaders to kill Jesus and the devastating betrayal of a close friend, we have the opportunity in the Gospel of Mark to pause and smell the sweet fragrance of faithfulness, the aroma of devotion to Jesus that permeates the air from an act of sacrificial love. Let us linger … Continue reading Remembering Her Fragrant Faithfulness

Do you know the woman at the well? Probably not


The woman answered him, “I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” (John 4:17-18 NSRV)   The Samaritan woman at the well is a … Continue reading Do you know the woman at the well? Probably not