Our book group is reading this in March. The cover feels like it might be a girls-only book and my flip-through lands on a lot of long descriptions, which I usually skim through.
But I trust these readers. Starting on International Women's Day, I felt obligated to get through it for our book group meeting. I swiped down to turn on my iPhone reader, changed the setting to 1.5X reading speed ... and
was lost! What a marvelous immersion into culture and time (Ming Dynasty). (Similar to this book about women in Pakistan.) You'll want to read this book for its rich descriptions of the inner life of Chinese families in Chinese history. The isolation of individuals and competition for status between family members in the Confusion and Buddhist culture at that point are heart-breaking.
For me, it was an eye-opening reminder of the privileges women enjoy in the West today due to the influences of Christianity.
As a follower of Jesus, I am grateful that he offered a completely different view of human interaction: "Love each other, and in this way people will know you are my disciples." As God-with us, he invited women into his inner circles, as did the early church. Women supported his itinerary ministry and sat at his feet to learn. They were hosts, teacher, and leaders of the early churches (for example, Lydia the business woman, Priscilla the teacher, and Julia the apostle).
We don't have the names of all the male leaders in the New Testament writings, nor of all the women. Enough women's names are included to know they were highly valued and welcome to contribute - not just from a back courtyard, hidden away from sight or as men's possessions.
Yet by the time of the historical church, male leader often subverted and blocked the inclusion of female leaders. Take for example the medieval scribe who changed f. Junia's name to m. Junias, perhaps due to the "impossibility" in his mind of a female apostle.
That certainly doesn't align with the "everyone come, everyone be empowered by the Spirit, and everyone go and serve" of Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 11, and elsewhere.
Read this amazing novel - and your heart will be moved with the resilience and persistence of women throughout history.
And if you are a Christ-follower, thank God that both men and women are treasured in his sight because we are all created in his image, called to love him, and empowered to love and serve others in our unique ways, in our special callings. #ladytanscircleofwomen
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