Guilty By Association

21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He hmade into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of jMan.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and bek joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2: 21 - 24 NKJV

I read a social media comment recently from a christian woman who claimed she felt threatened when she was around other men.  Immediately my defenses went up as I wondered what I myself could have done to deserve this distrust.  Granted, I have never met this woman, but I somehow felt as if I was guilty by association.  Perhaps I am.  For as I read deeper into her comments, I read that she had recently been on a bike ride one afternoon enjoying herself when a man passing by commented on how very pretty she was.  Immediately, as she claimed, her defenses went up.  What the passerby may have felt was a innocent compliment, this woman perceived as a prelude to his aggression towards her.  For her very first thoughts were of recent attacks on women on that very bike trail.  For her, her afternoon ride now became a matter of her survival.  Rattled by this mans comments, she took another way home which she thought was "Safer."  Now, I mentioned feeling guilty by association with her perceived threat because I have been that man who has made comments to women.  I don't think there are too many men, christian men, who have not commented on a womans beauty at one time or another.  However, do we see the other side of the coin as we do this?  In a world where violence women has become somewhat commonplace, have we added to this perception?  Now, I personally have never been in trouble with the law, but I somehow feel guilty by assiciation at times by the actions of a few misguided individuals.

26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galations 3: 26 - 29 NKJV

I find it interesting that the very word we so often use to describe the female of our species has such a biblical meaning.  For scripture tells us that the word "Woman" used in Genesis is often defined as "From man."  This seems logical, for the creation story recounts how Eve was created from a piece of Adam himself.  As in everything He does, God indeed had a purpose for this.  Was this purpose to make His newly formed creation subserviant to Adam?  No, for upon her creation, Eve is described as being one with Adam, "Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."  If our heavenly Father had meant for Eve to be under Adams heel, He would have made it so.  Fortunately this is not the case.  For scripture even describes Eve as a "Helper" to Adam.  The apostle Paul tells us in Galations that there is neither male nor female, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus.  Does the promise of Christ fall upon lines of gender?  NO!  Paul tells us this is not the case.  We are all, man and woman, meant to be one in Christ Jesus.  This is the truth which we need to see.  To see women, or even men for that matter, as mere objects for our own satisfaction, we are heeding the call of our flesh and not of Christ.  What we sould be asking ourselves is, would we be acting this way to our own sons or daughters?  Indeed, that person we may comment on is ultimately someones son or daughter.

~Scott~