Spring 2010
Volume 7, Issue 2
In Awesome Wonder __________
Comparing the Abrahamic Faiths
___________ Discerning God’s Will
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Every human being, Christian or not, bears the imprint of the Divine. Find out how your body, spirit and soul reflect the nature of God. By Kenisha Askew
The purpose of Christian dating is to find a man worth marrying. But before you start, make sure your relationship with Christ is strong so that you will be able to edify your future partner. By Hope Griffin and Katy Heubel
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It’s often difficult for us to discern God’s specific will for our lives. But He does give us certain guides — the Bible, circumstances, friends and feelings — to help us. By Annie Josey
A corkboard of spiritual thoughts, questions and insights from members of the VW staff.
A woman of incredible passion and faith, Elliot is probably most well-known for her service to the Waorani tribe of Ecuador after one of its members murdered her husband. By Mary Somerville
Us, married to God? Let’s take a look at ancient Jewish wedding customs to shed light on the biblical metaphor of the church being the bride of Christ. By Victoria Hartz
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Although some scholars claim that Gnosticism was a form of early Christianity, several Gnostic beliefs point to religions other than the one found in the New Testament. By Chelsea Pardue
How often do we meditate on the truly awesome nature of God? He is bigger than the universe, yet He is intimately involved in even the tiniest aspects of creation. Perhaps the greatest wonder is His redemptive grace toward man. By Lauren Drawdy
A three-week mission trip helped me realize the importance of continual self-emptying so that Christ can fill me entirely. By Brittany Jackson
Former UNC student Meredith Watts tells VW what it’s like to train to become a military journalist in Japan. By Chelsea Pardue
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PHOTO BY WIDE-EYED PHOTOGRAPHY
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Ever wonder where those hotel Bibles come from? We spoke with volunteer Horace Robertson to find out more about the ministry and its impact. By Hadley Heath
Although these three religions have common roots, they also have critical differences, most of which hinge on the person of Jesus Christ. By Yelena Pecheny
Worry is a sin that keeps us from trusting fully in God. Check out these Bible-based tips on how to attain mental peace. By Lauren Drawdy
Our regular Bible explication piece. In this issue, we examine the meaning, context and significance of Hosea 2:14 and Philippians 4:13. By Emily Snow and Lauren Temoche
SOURCE: NASA
Phoebe served as deaconess at the church at Cenchrea. She also financially supported Paul’s ministry and hand-delivered his letter to the Romans. By Kaitlyn Jongkind
Take a devotional look at one of the paintings by Italian Baroque artist Sassoferrato, called The Virgin in Prayer. By Christina Geradts
A biblical symbol for the church of Christ — pure, rooted, bowed, fragrant and flourishing. By Christie Arnold
Learn how to incorporate aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities into your weekly routine. By Kaitlyn Jongkind
COURTESY OF MEREDITH WATTS
Treat yourself to an evening of relaxation and skin-cleansing using these facial mask recipes. By Alesia Williams
Impress your friends with this three-course meal. The entrée: Beef medallions with a rosemary-chocolate sauce. By Hope Griffin
By Victoria Hartz
By Hope Griffin
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
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Letter editor FROM THE
We serve a God who is literally awesome, completely deserving of all our wonderment and praise. He is huge and beyond human comprehension. “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3). So why even try to comprehend a God so vast? Because the very act of trying — of searching Him out, of cogitating His vastness — is an act of worship. Consider the design of the universe, so big we have to measure it in light years and yet here we are, living and breathing on this tiny little blip called Earth, which God placed at just the right distance from the sun, giving it just the right axial tilt and rotational pattern, so as to accommodate life. Then consider the design of something as small as an ant, only a few millimeters long but containing about 250,000 brain cells and having the ability to lift 20 times its own body weight. We serve a beautiful, creative, caring, complex God. Not only should we stand in awe of God’s creation, we should also stand in awe of the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus rewrote history in a huge way. He ushered in a new law of grace and redeemed a sin-cursed world, fulfilling ancient Jewish prophecies. Praise God for His amazing grace! In this issue, we address some of the awesome aspects of God — God as Creator and Sustainer of life; God as Peace-Giver in times of worry; God as Shepherd through life’s uncertainties; God as the Preserver of His Word; God as Romancer and our Groom; and God as the center of our human relationships. We highlight His work in Ghana, carried out by a former VW staff member, and in Ecuador, where the legacy of Elisabeth Elliot continues still. We also examine the meaning of a few biblical metaphors and enigmatic passages of Scripture. It is my prayer that as you read through this magazine, you are able to recognize and savor the wonders of our mind-blowing God. God bless, Victoria Hartz Editor-in-Chief Cover photo: VW/RACHEL DENNIS Virtuous Woman is produced by students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This publication is funded at least in part by student fees, which were appropriated and dispersed by the UNC student government. Printed by UNC Printing Services. For advertising information, contact Elizabeth Wan’gu at wangu@email.unc.edu.
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VW Staff Editor-in-chief assistant editor Layout Editor Photo Editor Online Editor Publicity Director Treasurer Advertising Manager SOCIAL CHAIR
Victoria Hartz Chelsea Pardue Christine Chen Erin Smith Chelsea Pardue Kenisha Askew Emily Vargas Elizabeth Wan’gu Lauren Drawdy
Layout Staff
Evan Bell Megan Finke Christie Ray Harrison Kaitlyn Jongkind Kara Jongkind Rebecca Riddle Amanda Sobnosky
Advertising staff Photographers
Writers
Tiffany Dysart Alesia Williams Jenny Boone Johanna Contreras Rachel Dennis Natalie Helms Sarah Murray Yelena Pecheny Rebecca Riddle Kenisha Askew Christie Arnold Lauren Drawdy Christina Geradts Hope Griffin Victoria Hartz Hadley Heath Kaitlyn Jongkind Annie Josey Chelsea Pardue Yelena Pecheny Emily Snow Mary Somerville Lauren Temoche Alesia Williams
Acknowledgments Thank you to our donors: • Union Baptist Church (Hamptonville) • Grace and Lester Josey We appreciate your financial support!
3503 FPG Student Union UNC-CH Campus Box 136 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-5210 virtuous_woman@unc.edu
In His Image By Kenisha Askew klaskew@email.unc.edu
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” -Genesis 1:27 The idea of being created in God’s image is familiar to many, believer and nonbeliever alike. While the above Scripture may not be committed to memory, many of us carry it in our hearts as a reminder of our uniqueness in relation to the rest of God’s creation. Although the idea is common to us, often we do not have a definitive answer to the question of what it actually means to be an image or reproduction of God. Biblical scholars and laymen have been left to speculate about it. The general concept present in the first chapter of Genesis is that man somehow represents something about God. As humans, our dimensions are infinite and complex. We reside on this earth in body, spirit and soul. Paul acknowledged this tripartite existence in his letter to the believers in Thessalonica, to whom he advises that their “whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). These three general distinctions of our being are all intertwined. For example, our sense of reason and conscience (spirit) help make us aware of God (soul), and we act on this awareness with our physical self (body). This unity is a reflection of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit act as one. So even in our triune nature, we reflect the nature of God. But we can also explore each individual dimension of our being and recognize God’s likeness within each one. Body Jesus declares in John 4:24 that “God is spirit.” Therefore, we know that our physical bodies are not patterned after God. However, this does not mean that our bodies are not a part of His image. Our physical bodies are living, just as God is alive. Paul reminds us in Acts 17:29 that “since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone — an image made by man’s design and skill.” Our Father is animate and active. After all, only a living being could create life. Spirit Our faculty of reason — our ability to think and make rational decisions — is another manifestation of God’s image. God is ceaselessly omniscient; in fact, He is the very source of all knowledge. Although we cannot be all-knowing, we can
gather and retain information and use it for higher purposes. Because we are made in God’s image, we are intelligent beings who can observe, analyze and deduce. Furthermore, God has given us free will. We are morally aware and have the ability to understand and choose right from VW/RACHEL DENNIS wrong, despite our sinful nature. The story of Adam and Eve illustrates this point. God gave Adam and Eve the choice and capacity to understand that they must obey Him and that if they didn’t, there would be consequences (Genesis 2:16-17). Eve demonstrated this understanding when she referenced God’s command when the serpent was tempting her (Genesis 3:3). Soul Beyond the realm of our mental capacity lies our awareness of God. All humans have the ability to comprehend God’s existence and to enter into a personal relationship with Him. In 1 Corinthians 1:1, Paul says, “God … has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Our ability to fellowship with and have faith in God separates us from the birds and the trees. And not only is it an ability — it is a natural longing and universal need in the heart of man to want to be involved in something bigger and better than himself. Countless religions are based on this deep-seated desire to know God. Similarly, God has a deep-seated desire to know us. Therefore, in our own souls, we reflect God’s desire to connect with us intimately.
Man’s innate diversity makes it difficult to understand how the entire human race has been created in God’s image. None of us is the same: we all have a different genetic makeup, unique personality traits, and varying strengths and weaknesses. However, in order to truly cultivate our relationships with God, we must trust His plan for creation and embrace the reflection of His nature in everyone, including ourselves. Furthermore, we should strive to reflect His image in all that we do so that our light will “shine before men, that they may see [our] good deeds and praise [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Virtuous Woman | 5
Dating 101
By Hope Griffin, hegriffi@email.unc.edu, and Katy Heubel, guest writer, kheubel@email.unc.edu Writing about dating is tough. We all have so many different experiences and are at different places on our spiritual journeys. Hopefully, though, by the end of this article you will have a better understanding of what dating means to you and how to approach this mysterious yet beautiful realm. First things first: God is at the center of everything, including dating. And like all things that God created, He has a plan for dating, and a special one just for you. However, God is Love. it is often hard for us to accept a plan that we didn’t You can’t have formulate ourselves and of one without the which we do not know the other, and you’re details. But understand that God has your best interests not going to find at heart; all you need to do someone worth is trust. If trusting in God dating if he doesn’t plays an essential role in know that, too. the unraveling of your personal love story, exactly 6 | Virtuous Woman
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how do you put that trust in Him? In order to trust God so fully and completely that you would allow Him to write your love story, it is easier if you first know Him. To know God is to love God, and that love will lead to a trust in God’s plan for your life. Therefore, become involved in a local church, pray, delve into the Scriptures and read for yourself the promises God has made to you. He promises you joy and happiness, and that joy and happiness can be attained with or without the love of a man here on Earth. We are women in college and the love of a man is something many of us pray for with hope in our hearts. How many of us, though, actually know what the love we are looking for should look like? If you do not know, read about the story of Christ’s life, death and resurrection in any of the four Gospels. Jesus, as a man, showed His love for you by hanging on a cross. He died because He didn’t want to spend eternity without you. He was a man who sacrificed everything to see you get to heaven, which was made possible when He rose to new life. His greatest desire is for you to share with Him the eternal blessings of the Father. God is Love. You can’t have one without the other, and you’re not going to find someone worth dating if he doesn’t
know that, too. You should seek a man who will give you nothing less than the selfless, surrendering type of love that Christ exhibited when He died on the cross. You should settle for nothing less than a man who is seeking to emulate Christ and who puts your needs, wants and dreams before his own. Let’s say you have the first two bases covered: You love God and you know the kind of love that He wants you to experience here on Earth with another human being. The next question is, do you truly love yourself ? It is impossible to share God’s love with others if you do not love who He made you to be. As females, we desire to be beautiful, and in today’s world the definition of beauty has been perverted into an unrealistic physical anomaly of perfection. Now, look at God’s definition of beauty: sunsets, roses, the sea after a storm, the smile in a child’s eyes. God shows His beauty in all of creation but especially through His creation of you, for you are made in His image. You reflect the image of your Lord; therefore, you can be nothing but beautiful. An important part of that beauty encompasses the dignity and worth with which you were made. Do not consider dating someone who does not uphold your dignity, cherish your soul or recognize your worth. It’s not going to be the easiest thing to find the guy who will eventually become your husband, but it’s an exciting journey if you let it be. How do you find a worthy dating partner? You wait. It’s a simple formula: grow in faith and fall in love. Be in prayer — not only asking for patience and trust, but also praying for the men you think God might be putting on your heart, and for your future spouse. But what exactly is dating? Dating has come a long way from the days of past. As Beth L. Bailey’s book title so aptly states, dating has gone “From Front Porch to Back Seat.” Dating for entertainment purposes, to “have fun” or to receive benefits is not the way to go about things. However, as Christians, we know the purpose of dating is to discern whether a certain man (preferably someone you know well) is worth marrying. It’s not to say that every person you date you’re going to marry, but if there is something that rules him out of the marriage category (i.e., he’s not a Christian, you differ on fundamental beliefs, he has an ungodly lifestyle), then you’re setting yourself up for an inevitable breakup, wasting his time and wasting yours. That might sound harsh, but the truth is there: if you know that a person isn’t ever going to be right for you to marry, then entering into a relationship with that person is only going to take you farther away from someone else that God might be placing in your life, or it will take you away from a fruitful state of singleness in which you could be serving God. Be smart about the guys you choose to date, and don’t be afraid to say “no” if God isn’t calling you to pursue marriage with a guy who is pursuing you. In the meantime, build up healthy friendships with the men in your life, and get to know them. Maybe one day God will show you the man who will protect your heart. Until then, it’s your job to protect your heart. The best way to do that is to give it to God. Then let the man go to God, your heavenly Father, to ask His permission to win your heart. Beautiful love stories are written that way, and I’m not talking about Nicholas Sparks novels. Read the Bible —
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it’s the greatest love story ever. Never doubt God’s ability as a matchmaker! So, you think you’ve found the right one — you’ve prayed about it, you’ve sought the advice of friends and maybe family and he has done the same and wants to be in a relationship with you. What do you do? Our advice is to carefully enter into a relationship centered on Christ, filled with constant prayer and Christ-like love. It will be a journey of ups and downs, doubts and convictions, challenges and strengthening, but if you seek to honor God through it all, it will be beautiful and edifying. It’s easy to get caught up in the love of a boyfriend. Sometimes so much so that you forget your love for Christ and begin to “worship” your boyfriend by spending all your time with him, letting all your thoughts be consumed by him and maybe even falling into the realm of sexual sins in your attempt to try to show that love. Barring the last pitfall, the first two can be fixed by recommitting yourself to God and remembering that we can never love a human too much, but the problem lies in how much we love God. However, even if you have fallen into sexual sin, that doesn’t mean you can’t recommit yourself to God and to a chaste lifestyle. God forgives you; His Son died on the cross to wash away your sins because He loves you so much. Accept His forgiveness, because through His forgiveness you are made whole and pure again. Then, devote yourself to living a life pleasing to Him. This is only a brief outline of the ins and outs of Christian dating. There is so much more to discover, learn and pray about. If you are interested in reading more about this subject from a Christian perspective, there are a number of wonderful and helpful books out there. Here are some of our personal favorites: Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge (this one is not so much about dating as it is about understanding how you are made in God’s image as a woman, so if you are having trouble understanding how you are beautiful, this book’s for you!); Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot; and When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Virtuous Woman | 7
e h t t’s
a h W
By Annie Josey, ajosey@email.unc.edu
Plan?
It often seems as if movie characters have it so much easier than we do. Dorothy had her yellow brick road. Luke Skywalker had Yoda. And Jack Sparrow had a magical compass. Being human means that we must constantly grapple with tough decisions like these characters, but our paths are never exactly laid out for us. Many times I find myself wishing there were a clear path to choose, or someone to tell me exactly what to do, and when. It would be nice to know exactly what to major in, where to live, what kind of job to look for and who to marry. Life would be so much easier if God would just give us our own yellow brick road to follow. It can be difficult to follow God’s lead if you think He will speak to you only in an audible voice. Before the coming of Christ, God many times did just that, revealing His exact will for a person and telling him or her precisely what to do. Through a burning bush, He told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and inherit the Promised Land (Exodus 3). Through His messenger Gabriel, He told Mary she would bear His Son, Jesus (Luke 1:31). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Esther, Isaiah and countless others received their orders through direct conversations with God. So these days, why does God seem to be so silent? God does tell us in the Bible that He is here to guide us, step by step, throughout our entire lives. In John 10:3-4, Jesus says, “[The Shepherd] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” This way of relying on the Lord to guide us is less straightforward than many of us would like, but if we know how to listen, following His voice is easy. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose again and ascended into heaven, He left us His Holy Spirit and His Word as a guide. While these two prompters don’t often lend themselves to direct conversation, they do help us discern God’s will for our lives in several ways. When faced with a tough decision, one of the best resources for guidance is the Bible. The Bible is God’s living Word, and it is here, tangible and available to counsel us whenever we have a need. Many times when I flip through my Bible in search of answers to a specific life situation, the Holy Spirit leads me to a familiar passage that sheds new insight on my current state. The illumination of Scripture is one of the Holy Spirit’s main functions (1 Corinthians 2:10). If we are prayerful in reading the Bible and don’t take its verses out of context, the Holy Spirit will make our hearts and minds sensitive to God’s voice; He will help us hear and understand what God wants to tell us at that particular time. 8 | Virtuous Woman
The Holy Spirit can also guide us through our own feelings. Mark Virkler of Communion With God Ministries, based in New York, wrote an article on communicating with God, called “You Can Hear God’s Voice!”. In the article he states that God’s voice can sometimes sound like our own natural thoughts, described in 1 Kings 19:12 as “a still small voice.” Virkler likens God’s voice to “spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.” To tap into this flow of thought is to “be still and know that [He is] God” (Psalm 46:10).
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But when using our feelings as a guide, we first have to make sure they stem from our new nature, not our sinful one. Even if you’re a Christian, you still have several voices and influences in your head — as long as we live on this earth, it’s inevitable — and sometimes the loudest voice is the one that beckons you to indulge in temptation. But if you spend time in prayer, God will help you sort through these various feelings and determine which ones were placed there by Him. If you are walking with God, He places certain urges in you as expressions of His will. For example, you might feel a gut impulse that’s leaning you one way or a persistent uneasiness that’s making you reluctant to act another way. If you have a certain conviction, pray
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about it; pray that God will help you discern its validity and give you peace of mind about the choice He would have you make. Then wait for Him to confirm your conviction through Scripture, circumstances, the words of other Christians or through a transcendent sense of peace. In John 15:7, Jesus says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” This verse doesn’t mean that God is a magical genie whose sole purpose is to give us everything we want when we say we want it; instead, it means that as we abide in Christ, our prayers will come to be in perfect tune with His will, and so we will never be disappointed. His desires for us will become our desires as well. This synchronicity of will and desire is also promised in Psalm 37:4: “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If you take delight in God, achieving your dreams becomes easy because God is behind you all the way. God’s good becomes your good, and your good becomes God’s good. It isn’t hard to follow God’s will when you adopt His wants as your own. In this way, God’s desires, which turn into your own desires, serve as a guide in making decisions. It might not be easy to give up your worldly desires at first, but it is important to realize that God knows what is best for you, even more than you do. Even though we know that by walking with God we are already fulfilling His plan for our lives, God’s specific will for each of us as individuals still seems hazy at times. However, God often obscures certain parts of His plan for us as a way to teach us to exercise faith in Him. Acts 12 shows this principle in action, when an angel comes to visit Peter in prison and guides him out, step by step. This chapter can be read as a metaphor for our own lives. Peter doesn’t know where he is going; the doors he must go through don’t open until he reaches them. In a similar way, God will open the right doors at the right times in our lives, to guide us to where we need to go. There is no reason to get stressed or worried about what will happen in the future, because God has taken care of it (Matthew 6:31-34). He doesn’t show us more than we need to know at one time so that we can learn to trust Him. The Lord can also use the fellowship of the church body to help guide us. He can give others words of wisdom and advice specifically for us, the same way He puts desires into our own hearts. Oftentimes it can be especially helpful to get someone else’s perspective on a situation and have that person hold you accountable to Scripture. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one. … If they fall down, they can help each other up.” God doesn’t call us to serve Him by ourselves, but alongside the rest of His body.
If you are walking with God and have dedicated your life to Him, not only will He guide you in fulfilling the extraordinary plan He has laid out for your life, but He will also follow you wherever you may go. By walking with God, all we need to do is act, and He will use our choices for His greater glory. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to present our bodies to the Lord as living sacrifices, and when we are “transformed by [the] renewing of the mind … then [we] will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Sometimes it is not practical to wait around for God to speak to you but to instead pursue a course of action, knowing in faith that God will use it for His good. No matter what we decide to do, God can use it to glorify Himself. He already knows all the decisions you will make, and if you aren’t meant to do something, the Lord will close that door for you. Hearing God’s voice is not quite as easy as following a road or reading a treasure map. Instead of knowing exactly what He has in store for our lives, we get to watch our own narratives gradually unfold, like an audience watching a really exciting movie, except we are the ones actually living the extraordinary story. So instead of worrying about what will happen tomorrow, get excited about what good things God has in store for you. They’re so good, you can’t even imagine them. When we step out on faith to wait on Him and trust that He will show us His purpose in His own good time, watching that purpose materialize can actually be a fun adventure. Virtuous Woman | 9
Devotional Musings of a College Student
This spread is a collection of spiritual-related thoughts, questions, insights, verses and quotes submitted by members of the Virtuous Woman staff. The notes were inspired variously by personal Scripture- or book-reading, song worship, sermons and prayers. These are the meditations of our hearts; may they be yours, too.
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Elisabeth Elliot: By Mary Somerville, msomervi@email.unc.edu The 1956 martyrdom of Jim Elliot and four of his fellow missionaries shocked the world. Their murder by members of the hostile Waorani tribe in Ecuador prompted Christians everywhere to remember that life is a gift from God. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth Elliot, knew that her life was not her own. In fact, she gave her life to Christ at the age of 11. She copied and signed the following prayer, written by Betty Scott Stam, a missionary in China who was martyred in 1934, into her Bible: “Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. … Use me as Thou wilt. Send me where Thou wilt. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.”1 Born on December 21, 1926, in Belgium, where her parents were missionaries, Elliot knew she wanted to go into missions from a young age. She majored in Greek at Wheaton College in Illinois because she felt that God wanted her to use her skill with languages to reach “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). She then attended a Wycliffe Bible Translators training center in Oklahoma and the Prairie Bible Institute in Canada the summer after her graduation to prepare herself for mission work. She met Jim in March 1947, when he was a sophomore and she was a junior at Wheaton. The two felt an instant
Elliot married Jim in 1953. He was brutally murdered two years later.
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attraction, and they eventually married in 1953. Before their marriage, the two worked as missionaries with different tribes in Ecuador, with Elizabeth in the west and Jim in the east. After their marriage, they worked together with the Quichua (pronounced keech-wa) Indians. The media’s record of Jim’s martyrdom told the world about a man who trusted God so much that he was willing to give up his life for Him. Jim’s words show that Elisabeth had an equal trust in God: “I have a real cause for praise in my wife — a more thoughtful, well balanced and suitable girl I could have found nowhere for the rugged work the Lord is now leading us into.”2 Two years after their marriage and 10 months after the birth of their daughter, Valerie, Jim was killed. He and Peter Fleming, Nate Saint, Ed McCully and Roger Youderian had felt called by God to reach out to the isolated Waorani tribe, and they had been preparing to contact the Indians for several months by dropping gifts from Saint’s airplane to show their friendly intentions. The men finally set up camp on a sandbar near a Waorani settlement in the hopes of meeting the Indians face to face. After a friendly meeting with three of the Indians, warriors came into the camp and speared all five men. Elisabeth Elliot and the four other
While Elliot was living with the Waorani tribe in Ecuador, she became close friends with Mintaka (left).
widows supported their husbands’ efforts to reach the Waorani, even though they knew that death was a possibility. As Elliot writes in Through Gates of Splendor, “Each of us knew when we married our husbands that there would never be any question about who came first — God and His work.”3 In her book The Savage My Kinsman, Elliot wrote that while she struggled with asking God why the men had to die, she trusted His plan: “I knew that if life was to go on, it must go on meaningfully. … The ‘whys’ that screamed themselves at me day and night could not be silenced, but I could live with them if I simply went on and did the next thing … and in the doing of these I learned to know God a little better.”4 When asked how she could cope with Jim’s tragic death, Elliot answered, “It gives me a much more personal desire to reach [the Waorani]. The fact that Jesus Christ died for all makes me interested in the salvation of all, but the fact that Jim loved and died for the [tribe] intensifies my love for them.”5 Instead of becoming bitter or hateful toward her husband’s murderers, she developed a deep affection for them. Elliot kept working with the Quichuas and prayed for God to give her some way to work with the Waorani. In November 1957, two Waorani women entered Quichua territory. Two years later, Elliot, Valerie and Rachel Saint, Steve Saint’s sister, returned with the women to Waorani territory. While many people questioned their decision, Elliot replied that they were merely following God’s call. The Waorani built the Elliots and Saint a hut with bamboo flooring and supports (no walls) and a palmleaf roof. Elliot completely immersed herself in the tribe’s culture, claiming that she wanted “to lose [her] own culture for the sake of winning those of another [culture to Christ].”6 She
A Woman Fearfully and Wonderfully Made ate what the Indians ate, cooked how they cooked, listened to their stories (even when she could not understand them) and studied their language. “In spite of my annoying ignorance, [the Waorani] women accepted me with a good-natured tolerance most of the time and occasionally showed themselves quite affectionate,” Elliot said.7 Elliot discovered that the Waorani already had a word for God: “Waengongi.”8 To them, Waengongi is a divine being who created humans and then left them alone; he does not interact with his creation. Elliot came to live with the Waorani because she loved them and wanted to get to know them as human beings, not as the killers the world saw them as. She wanted the Indians to experience the same joy and peace she felt in knowing her Savior. Although she grew discouraged at times, Elliot took comfort in the fact that “the Kingdom of God is like leaven and seed, things which work silently, secretly, slowly.”9 Elliot felt called to another part of Ecuador in 1961, but Saint continued to work and live with the Waorani until her death in 1994. Elliot returned to visit the tribe in 1996, and she found that several members had accepted Christ, including Kimo, Dyuwi and Minkayi, three of the Indians who had killed the five missionary men. Catherine Peeke and Rosemarie Jung, two employees of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, had translated the New Testament into the Waorani language in 1978. Many of the Indians had learned to read by the time Elliot returned, and the translation of the New Testament into their language helped them see for themselves the truth found in God’s Word. Elliot and her daughter returned to the United States in 1963. While raising Valerie, Elliot worked as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and traveled around the country
to write and speak about her experiences. In addition, she served as a stylistic consultant for the committee of the New International Version of the Bible in the 1970s. Then, from 1988 to 2001, she ran a radio program called “Gateway to Joy,” produced by the Good News Broadcasting Association of Lincoln, Neb. Elliot’s second husband, theology professor Addison Leitch, died of cancer in 1973. She is now married to Lars Gren and lives in Massachusetts. Although Elliot is retired, her work continues to provide encouragement to people all around the world. She has written a total of 36 books, all meant to inspire growth in Christ. Elliot wrote the following on the 50th anniversary of her first husband’s death: “I believe with all my heart that God’s Story has a happy ending. … But not yet, not necessarily yet. It takes faith to hold on to that in the face of the great burden of experience, which seems to prove otherwise.”10 Although Elliot has suffered much throughout her lifetime, she has never given up her trust in God’s plan. He brought her from Belgium to the United States to Canada to Ecuador and then back again to the U.S., using her to touch lives all over His planet. God created Elliot as a beautiful instrument to proclaim His goodness and grace. Elisabeth Elliot. Let Me Be a Woman. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989. Page 10. 2 Jim Elliot. “October 16, 1953.”“To Brother Virgil and All the Saints in Williams”: The Letters of Jim and Betty Elliot. Billy Graham Center. 18 Feb. 2010. <http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/docs/Elliotletters/03.htm> 3 Elisabeth Elliot. Through Gates of Splendor. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1996. Page170. 4 Elisabeth Elliot. The Savage My Kinsman. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1989. Page 14. 5 Ibid., 9. 6 Ibid., 82. 7 Ibid., 36. 8 Steve Saint. The End of the Spear. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2005. Page 145. 9 The Savage My Kinsman, 147. 10 Through Gates of Splendor, 265. 1
Books by Elliot • Passion and Purity: Chronicles her love story with Jim Elliot, with all its struggles and joys. Encourages unmarried men and women to take comfort in God’s gift of singleness and to wait patiently for a God-ordained spouse. • Let Me Be a Woman: Written for her daughter, Valerie, before her wedding. Includes wisdom for living as a woman of God. • The Savage My Kinsman: A memoir about her first year as a missionary among the Waorani, during which she had to focus on trusting God while feeling very outof-place. • Through Gates of Splendor: Tells the individual stories of five men whose common goal was to work with the unreached Waorani tribe. These men were ultimately speared to death in their attempts, but this book encourages readers to understand that their deaths did not count as loss but as gain for Christ.
Elliot with her husband, Lars Gren
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Betrothed Betrothed to
Christ
Anticipating marriage to the Lamb By Victoria Hartz, hvictori@email.unc.edu
As a little girl, you may have dreamed of someday marrying your Prince Charming, of becoming a princess and living in a faraway palace. I, for one, used to walk down my hallway with a piece of toilet paper dangling from my head (in lieu of a veil), walking step-together, step-together, pretending I was advancing down a church aisle toward someone who would take me away and love and adore me. And, just maybe, we would ride off into the sunset on a white horse and live happily ever after, like in the storybooks. The more I study God’s Word, the more I see that this vision of marriage is not just a fairytale for starry-eyed youngsters; it is the real, true role God has in store for His beloved, the Church, and His Son, Jesus Christ. This Prince, Jesus, the Son of God the King, says, “I love you. Come reign with Me. Come live with Me in My Father’s mansion. Come eat with Me and share eternity with Me.” As the Christian church, we are engaged to be married to this selfsame Jesus — the handsome, gallant, courteous Pursuer of our love and esteem. He fights off the bad guys for us, and we are His glory, His prize. He is our Protector and Friend, and we are the bride who makes Him happy, for “as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). Now, let’s distance ourselves for a moment from the Walt Disney framework and take a look at the cultural context of marriage in Jesus’ time. In ancient Palestine, Jewish weddings had three main stages: the betrothal ceremony, the preparation of the wedding chamber and the wedding ceremony. 14 | Virtuous Woman
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Betrothal Ceremony: First, the young man’s father had to make or approve his son’s choice of bride. Then a Ketubah, or marriage contract, would be drawn up and presented to the intended bride and her father. The contract outlined the rights of the bride and the responsibilities of the groom and included the bride price the groom was to pay to the bride’s parents to compensate them for the cost of raising her. The bride price was meant to reflect the perceived value of the young woman. The bride and her family were given the option to accept or reject the offer. The prospective groom would pour a cup of wine for his beloved and wait to see if she drank it. If she did, it was her way of saying that she was willing to enter into a betrothal period. The betrothal was binding and could be undone only by divorce, and with proper grounds, such as the bride being found to be impure. After his beloved’s acceptance, the young man would give her gifts and take a temporary leave.
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Preparation of the Wedding Chamber: This was a period of indefinite waiting on the bride’s part as the groom went to prepare a home, or chuppah, for them to live in. Typically, the groom would build a sort of honeymoon suite off of his father’s house. During this time of separation, the bride would make herself ready for the wedding by purifying herself with fragrant oils. She would wear a veil when she went out to show that she was spoken for, and at night, she would keep a lamp and other things beside her bed so that she would be ready to go as soon as her groom returned for her.
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Wedding Ceremony: When the wedding chamber was ready (usually after a year or so), the groom would lead a torchlight parade of friends through the streets to claim his bride. When the party arrived at the bride’s home, they would shout and blow a shofar, or ram’s horn, to let her know it was time to come out. The bride and her friends would then follow the groom to the newly prepared home, where the couple would consummate their marriage and enjoy a week of physical intimacy. While the couple honeymooned, friends and relatives would celebrate with food and music. When the couple emerged, the marriage supper would begin. What a beautiful picture of the church’s love relationship with Christ, culminating in a moment of intense spiritual intimacy when at last we meet our Bridegroom in His heavenly chamber! Like Hebrew brides of the ancient world, we, too, have been bought with a price and are spoken for (1 Corinthians 6:20). Jesus’ Father has drawn up a contract for us — the contract of salvation. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God says, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time. … I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … they will all know me.” This covenant expresses the Groom’s promise of gracious provision for us, as well as the promise of mutual intimacy. And in John 10:28-29, we see that the marriage contract between us and Christ is legally binding. “No one can snatch them out of my hand,” Christ says, referring to the individuals who constitute His bride. Then Jesus offers us a cup of wine — His blood, poured out on the cross — to accept or reject. “Drink from it, all of you,” He bids us in Matthew 26:27-28. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” Even as Jesus ate His Last Supper with the disciples 2,000 years ago, He was thinking about the marriage supper we will one day share with Him in heaven: “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). If we accept this extension of grace, Jesus gives us the gift of His Spirit as a seal to be worn, to show others that our allegiance is to Him. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul tells the church, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.” We have been consecrated, set apart, kept pure, for Him (1 Corinthians 6:11). And this soon-to-be Husband, this Lover, Savior of ours — He goes to prepare a place for us, after which He will receive us unto Himself. In John 14:2-3, Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Until then, we must wait patiently for Him, being always ready, for we “know neither the day nor the hour in which the
Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). But when He does return, His arrival will be announced with trumpet and fanfare. We will thenceforth follow Jesus up to His Father’s house, where we will become eternally wed to Him. “For the trumpet will sound … and we will be changed,” Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:52, describing the rapture. Then we will receive a new name to reflect our married status (Isaiah 62:2); our identity will become completely enmeshed with Christ’s, for we will be one. Then we will emerge, a new person, and dine with our Lord at the most lavish wedding banquet ever prepared in the history of weddings. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” an angel exclaims to the apostle John in Revelation 19:9. The witnesses of our marriage, the celebrants at our supper, will be the Old Testament and tribulation saints. These guests will laugh and dance and reminisce and say, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:6-7). And after dinner, our Prince, “Faithful and True,” will take us riding on the back of a white horse to His castle, where He will establish the reign of His Messianic kingdom, with us at His side. John describes his vision of this future event in Revelation 19:11-14: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. … He is dressed in a robe … and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” In Revelation 17:14, we see that this heavenly legion comprises Christ’s “chosen and faithful followers.” So it seems I’ll get my white-horse ending after all!
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The
Gnostic Tradition
By Chelsea Pardue, parduec@email.unc.edu When Christianity first started to form in the first century A.D., several different sects developed, one of the main ones being Gnosticism. By the end of the third century, Gnosticism had been mostly defeated by what became orthodox Christianity. A quick look at basic Gnostic beliefs makes it obvious that Gnosticism is not a Christian religion, and therefore the Gnostic gospels have no rightful place in the canon of the Christian Scriptures. The word “Gnosticism” comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means “knowledge.” According to Gnosticism, only the elite few who receive the correct teachings will experience heaven. Those who simply have faith in Christ’s sacrifice will not be allowed to partake in eternal life, as orthodox Christianity teaches. An example of this esotericism can be found in the Gospel of Thomas, a Gnostic text that claims to be full of sayings of Jesus. In this book, Jesus is reported to have said, “Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.” This verse can be contrasted to John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). The idea of having to gain special knowledge to experience salvation would mean that Jesus’ death and resurrection, the cornerstone of Christianity, mean nothing. According to Gnostic texts, divine revelation is a private event and one that is meant to be kept secret rather than proclaimed publicly. The Gospel of Judas, for example, indicates that Jesus revealed the special saving knowledge to Judas Iscariot apart from the other disciples: “Knowing that Judas was reflecting upon something that was exalted, Jesus said to him: ‘Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom.’” Gnostics believe that higher knowledge comes not from the Bible but from some mystical higher plane of existence. The emphasis is on subjective experience. Gnostics believe there are two gods. The first god is the god of the Old Testament, Ialdaboath, who created the world and is evil. He must be evil because in Gnosticism, matter is associated with evil and the spirit is associated with good. Gnostics believe that the universe exists through the union of beings called 16 | Virtuous Woman
With its emphasis on secret knowledge, goddess worship and self-deification, Gnosticism contradicts many key teachings of Christianity. “aeons,” each one an emanation of the good God. One of these aeons, Sophia (“wisdom”), one day fell from grace. Sophia longed to return to heaven, accidentally creating matter and soul and with it the evil god who created the world. Sophia managed to put a piece of herself, called the Divine Spark, into humans. Christ was sent to show humans how to use their wisdom to find knowledge about their true nature, but Gnostic texts disagree about who received Jesus’ secret teachings. Some Gnostic writers thought the apostles were the only ones who received the teachings and that they passed it to others. Because Gnostics believe that matter is evil, they think Christ could not have come to Earth in the form of flesh. This belief that Christ was never human and exists only in spirit form is called “Docetism.” With this view, Christ, the spirit, and Jesus, the man, are not combined into the Savior. Thus Jesus was not divine; he was simply a man who was crucified and never rose. The biggest difference between Gnostic and Christian teachings has to do with salvation. In Gnosticism, salvation is not understood in terms of deliverance from sin, but as a form of existential self-realization. In other words, man achieves his own redemption. According to www.gnostic-jesus.com, Gnostics “do not look to salvation from sin; rather, they look to salvation from ignorance. … This ignorance will only be relieved through gnosis. It was not through Christ’s suffering and death, but through his life and his teachings that humanity will be saved.” The Bible makes clear that the purpose of Christ’s death on the cross was to atone for the sins of the world; His sacrifice enables man to escape the bonds of sin and its punishment of death. But Gnostic writings teach that sin is not the real threat;
ignorance is. Personal enlightenment is the main goal. Very little was known about Gnostic beliefs prior to 1945. That year, a farmer named Mohammed Ali found 46 texts in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, written in Coptic. Some of the bestknown Gnostic writings are the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Mary, the Apocryphon of John and the Apocalypse of Peter. These books give us most of the knowledge we currently have about this complex religion. These texts highlight attributes of Jesus that contradict biblical writings. In Gnosticism, Jesus isn’t compassionate; He doesn’t care about other people, possibly because He doesn’t experience suffering in Gnostic texts. For example, in the Second Treatise of Great Seth, Jesus says, “Another, their father, was the one who drank the gall and the vinegar; it was not I … But I was rejoicing in the height over all the riches of the archons and the offspring of their error and their conceit, and I was laughing at their ignorance.” In this text, Jesus is said to not have been crucified, and instead He laughed at those who believed He was on the cross. The Gnostic texts present God as a spirit who cannot be known or touched by humans. The Gospel of Judas says, “There is a great invisible Spirit, which no eye of angel has ever seen, no thought of heart has ever comprehended, and it was never called by any name.” This portrayal is contrary to the canonical Gospels. For example, in John 20:27, Jesus says to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand [here], and put [it] into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (NKJV). Jesus cries when Lazarus dies and gets angry when people start selling things in the Temple, showing His human emotions. In these canonical books, Jesus is completely physical, touchable and knowable. Furthermore, the Gnostic Jesus seems indifferent toward moral teachings and doesn’t challenge the current culture. There is no focus on improving this world; all hope is placed in a higher consciousness in heaven after death. In the Bible, however, Jesus repeatedly commands His disciples to improve the world by helping those in need and by spreading the gospel to all nations. Thus, there is no such thing as Christian Gnosticism; Christianity and Gnosticism are two mutually exclusive belief systems. Gnosticism combines ideas from many other religious and philosophical traditions — including Greek mythology, dualism and pantheism — with some from the Bible to create a body of diverse, syncretistic worldviews. With its emphasis on secret knowledge, goddess worship and selfdeification, Gnosticism contradicts many key teachings of Christianity. It denies the person and work of Jesus Christ, teaching a do-it-yourself salvation that comes through an intuitive self-knowledge. It is hard to know what sort of effect Gnosticism had on the development of the early church because it is unknown whether Gnosticism formed before or after proto-
orthodox Christianity. Proto-orthodox is a term coined by UNC-Chapel Hill professor Bart Ehrman to describe the group of Christians that would later defeat other sects to become the orthodox group. Gnostics opposed orthodox Christianity and said that followers of these beliefs would obtain a lesser form of salvation. Proto-orthodox Christians had many more followers, however, and thus Gnosticism was eventually deemed heretical in the Apostles’ Creed, which was written sometime around the end of the second century. Gnosticism can be related to Buddhism and Hinduism because of its pantheistic nature. The Apostles’ Creed, which many Christians still recite in church today, states that there is only one God, and He made Earth. It explicitly states that Jesus suffered during His crucifixion, proving that He was fully human. The Council of Nicaea met in 325 A.D. to expand on the Apostles’ Creed. Slowly, the Christian church found unity in its doctrine. However, the Creed did not solve all problems. Gnosticism resurfaced in some form after the Protestant Reformation, although it did not experience as much popularity. A small church in France re-established Gnosticism in 1890, and it still has followers today. Many writers throughout history have been influenced by Gnostic teachings, especially after the Nag Hammadi Library was found. Although Gnostic beliefs are vastly contrary to orthodox Christian beliefs, followers still consider Gnosticism to be a form of Christianity. People interested in Christianity should understand that knowledge is not a part of salvation. A simple belief in Christ’s death and resurrection is the only thing necessary to experience heaven. Knowledge is important because without it, Christians may not truly understand what they believe. Contrary to Gnostic texts, however, the elite, knowledgeable few are not the only ones for whom heaven was meant. Jesus spent most of His time with children, prostitutes, lepers, beggars and fishermen. God wants everyone to repent and become saved (2 Peter 3:9).
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By Lauren Drawdy, ldrawdy@email.unc.edu Awesome. Wonderful. Glorious. These words fall so easily from the lips of believers, sometimes becoming so commonplace as to lose all meaning. And then the glorious Being behind the words of adoration fails to be realized and is thus repeatedly diminished until people no longer believe in their hearts what their mouths are saying. Lip service — we are so good at it. We know that God exists. Our minds (and the Bible) tell us He is beyond the scope of the human imagination. But do we even imagine? In a world where humans are the center of life, where nothing is as important as our wants and desires, God is easily forgotten, pushed to the side until it is time to ask for something. God has become a need-meeter, one to whom we bring our lists of wants when we desire something to happen. Do you think God is disappointed in that? Of course He is here to care for us, to answer our prayers and guide us when we need help. But He is infinitely more than a being we turn to only when we need something; He is the very definition of holiness and truth and thus is completely deserving of our total praise. “If there is one terrible disease in the church of Christ, it is that we do not see God as great as He is. We’re too familiar with 18 | Virtuous Woman
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God,” Christian author A.W. Tozer writes in his book Worship: The Missing Jewel in the Evangelical Church. The church is struggling. As a body of believers, we should be constantly filled with fascination and excitement. Where is our desire to be captivated, overwhelmed — filled with an astonished reverence for the inconceivable magnitude and splendor of God Almighty? We are called to love God with every ounce of strength within us; we are called to love God with wonder and fear and yearning and awe. When we truly let the breath-taking beauty of the great I AM wash over us, we are swept into a silence of reverence and adoration. But instead of letting this awe-filled faith drive our lives and consume who we are, many of us trail it behind us, bouncing it along on an invisible string; then, when it is time to pull out the expected words of admiration, we reel our faith back in, pulling out the words we know we should say, words we know we should feel. But do we really feel them? Do we even know what we are saying? Do we truly comprehend the Being of whom we are speaking? Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” However, as sad as it is, “the consuming fire has been domesticated into a candle flame,” Tozer says.
SOURCE: NASA
We hear and say the words, “God is bigger than everything — bigger than the moon, the earth, the sky; bigger than humans and bigger than life.” But what does that even mean? God is so wondrous that the human vocabulary falls miserably short of ever conveying His true majesty and beauty. Because we are humans and our understanding is finite, it’s impossible for us to fully comprehend an infinite God. God is unfathomable, uncontainable; He exceeds the very limitations of our minds. Do you fear the Lord? Do you stand in awe of His mighty presence? The presence of this eternal, self-sufficient Being who spoke everything into being and who daily sustains all life?
Almighty Creator In Genesis 1, it is recorded that God said, “Let there be light.” Sounds simple enough, right? God says a couple of words and a nice, merry little sun appears in the sky to give warmth to all creatures on Earth. Wrong! God commanded that there be light (a concept only He could even create), and light came blazing forth, roaring from His mouth at 186,000 miles per second! This raging inferno ripped across the heavens, creating the boiling, blistering star that sustains all life on our planet. Louie Giglio, speaker and founder of the Passion Movement, says of God, “We cannot think that He is some kind of namby-pamby God, some kind of mealy little weak God; He is ferocious … He is intense in power and holiness and radiant splendor and might.” The psalmist says in Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; the starry host by the breath of His mouth.” Do your eyes read these words and yet fail to comprehend? God’s breath created a multitude of intensely radiant luminaries across our galaxy, across the hundreds of billions of known galaxies in the universe! With just a few words, the entire universe was created. And not only did He create it — He knows it and sustains it. Our God is the One who hangs the stars in the sky and calls each one by name (Psalm 147:4-5). He set the planets into orbit and keeps them from colliding. He created sun and the moon and instituted the laws of gravity, which govern the tides. He is in control of all creation. In Isaiah 40:12, God asks rhetorically, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales, and the hills in a balance?” According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the world contains about 333 million cubic miles of water. You might be able to retain a few tablespoons of that sum in the cup of your hand, but God can contain the entire amount in His! Measured as a sphere, the known universe is estimated to have a radius of 20 billion light years. So, if you wanted to travel from one side of the universe to the other, all you would have to do is travel 186,000 miles a second for 20 billion years, and boom, you’re there. Scientists use telescopes and lasers to try to determine cosmic distances, and even then, it’s only
speculation. Our God, however, need only stretch out His thumb and pinky, and between them lies the entire universe. All within the span of His hand! I hope you are starting to understand that God is not our size. As Giglio says, this “masterful Artist is working on a canvas far greater than anything we could ever conceive,” a canvas that reflects His own vast and boundless nature. The stars and the planets and everything else in the sky were designed not for us to claim and name, but “to shout the glory and splendor of God” (Psalm 19:1). The stars are a display, a dancing performance that constantly exudes praise to the One who created all things. We are just one other creation in a vast universe that was made to reflect God’s splendor. And yet, we are cherished beyond all other created things. God created man in His image, to be unique reflectors of who He is. Every one of us is beautiful, for God handcrafts us and cherishes us. Unlike the rest of creation, man has the ability to think and learn and praise God with heart, mind and soul. We can understand God’s beauty and majesty and consciously praise Him for it.
Significant Insignificance If this universe were created just for man, it would be way too large and excessive. But what if the primary purpose of the universe is not to house us but to house the greatness of the glory of God? To humans, the solar system is massive, stretching so far that we have never even managed to travel to another planet. Our solar system is floating about two-thirds from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, a tiny speck so small in relation that satellites can’t even spot it from outside the Milky Way. Our solar system fails to be consequential even in our own galaxy, notwithstanding the entire universe! Maybe we aren’t as important as we think we are. Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon, said he remembers flying home on Apollo II when it struck him that the tiny “pea” he could see was the earth; he merely had to shut one eye and hold up his thumb and he could blot the entire world. But rather than feel like a giant, he felt very, very small. David must have felt the same way when he penned Psalm 8:34: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the Virtuous Woman | 19
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moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft; its mission was to take a photo of the Earth once it reached the edge of the solar system. In 1990, Voyager finally reached its vantage point, about 4 billion miles away. It turned around and, between February and June, sent one image back to Earth. This image came to be known as “The Pale Blue Dot” because at the moment it was taken, the planet Earth just so happened to be caught in one of the sun’s scattered rays, making it visible to viewers, but just barely. Astronomer Carl Sagan described the pictured Earth as a “mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam — a tiny blue pixel on which all of history had occurred.” Of it, Sagan wrote that “there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.” This is enough information to make one feel utterly unimportant, unnoticed, unworthy. This is true, and yet — God knows us. He loves us. As Giglio says, “We are significantly insignificant,” because “as tiny as we are, we are known and prized by Majesty.” Just like the stars in heaven, God knows us and is aware of us; He can call each and every one of us by name — yes, even you, reading this article — He knows your name. He knows your heart, your fears, your failures … and He loves you. He invited you into a relationship with Him and He makes you significant.
Attention to Detail Not one atomic particle exists in the universe that God does not know about and direct. From the vastness of the heavens to the tiniest microorganisms of Earth, God exercises an intricate, fine-tuned care over all of creation. Take man, for example. God designed our brain cells to send impulses racing at 250 miles per hour. He created the quivering dance of hairs in our ears, so small that 10,000 bunched together are thinner than one strand of hair from a head. He ordained that our red blood cells, only thousandths of an inch in size, make a 700-mile trek during their 120-day
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lifespan in our very bodies through our vast, intricate network of veins, arteries and capillaries. God designed the balance and order of all living things on Earth, created the wonder and beauty of an animal as small as krill made to sustain a creature as large as a whale! He designed the beauty of a dewdrop, glistening brilliantly on a rose petal. He created the peacock’s iridescent blue-green plumage, with gold tints. He created the soil, rich and teeming with life and energy. And He created you. Consider the complexity of the mind behind the creation of DNA, the blueprint of life. Packed into the nucleus of every cell inside your body is six feet of tightly wound DNA. On that six feet are about three billion letters of code, containing all your genetic information. For example, your DNA contains information for the trillions and trillions of proteins that are in your body and the blueprint of how all those proteins go together. It dictates eye color, bone structure, blood type and every other physical aspect about you. And all this information needed to specify an organism as complex as man weighs less than a few thousand-millionths of a gram. Talk about data compression! The Lord further shows His architectural prowess with the complexities of the tiny grasshopper. This creature, weighing between 2 and 3 grams, can generate a force of up to 1.4 kilograms per leg — that’s enough strength to lift a bag and a half of grocery store sugar! With these incredibly strong muscles, a grasshopper can leap as far as 20 times its body length. If we could jump that far, we’d be able to jump nearly 40 yards! Look at the trees, the grass, the flowers — the Lord is vast beyond all human reckoning, yet He is a part of the smallest details of life. God created the transformation process whereby a little seed grows into a full-blown blossom; He is attentive even to the elaborate functions of the petals and leaves above the ground and the roots buried beneath the soil. God designed all aspects of life to perfectly complement one another, from the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between plants and animals to the heat of the sun combating against the protective atmosphere that surrounds Earth; He orchestrated all life into the beautiful symphony it is today. Why does He do all this?, you may wonder. Why should a Being so vast, so powerful, so
mighty be concerned with the durability of a spider’s web or the hopes and fears of a human being? Because He cares — the Lord cares so much that He is forever invested in the miraculous crafting of a new creature, plant or person. It is a thoroughly inexplicable love God has for us, for all living beings. He cares so much about us that He not only engineers life as we know it, but He is devoted to the nurturing, protecting and loving of all life.
Almighty Redeemer In all these things, God is deserving of our awe and wonder, but God’s greatest, most awe-inspiring act was His redemption of mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus walk our planet for 33 years, experiencing the physical pangs of hunger, pain and fatigue, but He took the sins of the world on His shoulders and died the death of a criminal so that we wouldn’t have to. He became a curse for us so that we could be saved from the curse of sin (Galatians 3:13). Why did He do this? For love. God’s love is greater, more powerful than any force we will ever encounter — His love for us, so undeserving, is truly indescribable. The Bible is full of the amazing redemption stories, of God demonstrating His awesome power through people. Saul of Tarsus was a fierce, cold-hearted persecutor of the early church. Relentlessly, Saul hunted down Christians and sentenced them to death, encouraging the stoning of the martyr Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:1) and other such leaders of the church. Saul was so adamant about eradicating Christians from all of society that he even undertook a 150-mile journey to the city Damascus to persecute the Christians rumored to be there. On his journey, however, God intervened. He struck Saul with physical blindness and spiritual conviction and commanded the greatest human persecutor of His people to lay aside his hate and anger and instead lead the church (Acts 9:3-19). God took this murderer and transformed his heart of stone, making him one of the greatest professors of the Christian faith. After his conversion, Saul was given the new name “Paul,” and when Paul started preaching that Jesus was the Son of God, “all those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?’” (Acts 9:21). If you’re saved, you have a redemption story, too. You have been set apart. Now, your testimony may not involve a blinding light or thunderclaps, and it may not involve you being a former murderer. Christ died to save all of humanity; no matter our background, we are all in equal need of His saving grace. You are a gorgeous, infinitely adored child of God, and He would never overlook you. Any and every individual who accepts Christ as his or her Lord and Savior is personally redeemed and enters into a personal relationship with this enormously vast Jesus. And the best thing of all is that this love is forever — this contract between you and Christ is one of unending love and joy. God’s power is mighty. And He showed His miraculous wonders through the life and actions of Jesus Christ. Jesus took this world by storm, shattering the self-absorbed lives of humans, turning previously accepted truths on their heads.
Jesus was friends with the outcasts of society. The lepers, the lame, the blind, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the poor — all were welcomed by Him and cherished. Jesus healed the sick with merely words, or with a touch of His hand. He made the blind see and the crippled walk. He drove demons from the souls of men with His mere presence! Jesus took the winds from the mighty storms, calming the sea with a command; He fed more than 5,000 people with merely five loaves of bread and two fish; He turned barrels of water into wine, walked on water and rose from the dead. Our God’s power exceeds all things! You may already be familiar with these miracles, but do you live as if they really happened? Do you truly believe that God is in control of all the elements and has the power to effect radical change? God asks rhetorically in Isaiah 40:25-26, “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” The truth is, no one can ever match up to the glory of God. And yet, God took on the likeness of a teeny-weeny insignificant man on this teenyweeny blue speck of a world and gave Himself to the cross. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death so that we can know Him. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we may be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). This love-based redemption is completely mind-blowing. It’s a redemption that makes us holy. That transforms our very natures. That enables us to call the Creator of the universe “Father” and “Friend.”
Conclusion Awe is what needs to take place here; awe is what needs to take hold of the hearts and minds of all who claim to know God. If you think about it, awe must precede faith. Do you remember what it felt like on Christmas Eve as a kid? So excited you couldn’t even sleep with all the anticipation coursing through you? Then waking up on Christmas morning practically shouting with gladness? Can you imagine if you were to wake up like that every day in anticipation of what God would do for and through you? With anticipation of what you could do for Him? What would our actions look like? Our faith? Are we in awe of our Maker? In Revelation 1:13-17, John looks upon the figure of Jesus. He describes our Lord as “dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet … with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” Are we so in awe of our Creator that we approach Him with sweaty palms and shaky knees? That we fall on our faces, absolutely overcome by His brilliance, power and majesty? I pray that those of us who profess faith and love in God will never grow complacent in our faith, and that we will remain in a constant state of awe. For our God is mighty; He is a consuming fire that exceeds the scope of the human mind; He is the Great I AM and is worthy of all our praise, wonderment and awe. Virtuous Woman | 21
&Poured Out
Filled Up
By Brittany Jackson, former Editor-in-Chief, Virtuous Woman
VW/Brittany Jackson
During my three-week stay in Koforidua, Ghana, I saw God move abundantly not only in the hearts of the people with whom I worked but in my own heart as well. Starting out, there were three components of this mission trip: work projects, evangelization (primarily to youth groups of area churches) and a medical mission. Upon arriving in Ghana, however, the team and I learned to be flexible to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to move and to use us as He pleased. One of the biggest missions we ended up having was ministering to local children through love. Their need, their craving, to be loved was intense. While in my mind we had come to do work and be productive in outward ways, God called us to pour out His love on these children simply by being present with them. Sometimes that looked like affection; other times it meant playing games. And other times it meant just hanging out on the front porch with them during our free time instead of taking naps. Most of the children who hung out around the mission house came from broken homes or from families who neglected to show them love. Many times they were seen as just another mouth to feed or used as another body to carry out the daily chores. This was a common theme wherever we went in Ghana. Another primary component of the trip was working with the youth and the youth leaders of several Catholic churches in the area to help them build up their youth programs. We
thought we were coming in to present more components and options to them, but once again, God had another plan. He took us there to have a hand in actually establishing the foundation for youth programs. Many of the youth were active in their churches, but they were so integrated with the adult population that their own needs were not being met. Our team felt strongly that it was necessary for these teenagers to have a meeting time of their own where they could relate to one another and build up one another in the faith. We taught the youth leaders what it means to be in relational ministry with these youth, instead of always using a teacher-student approach. God did a lot in planting the seeds to change the mindsets and perceptions of these youth leaders and Sunday school teachers regarding their techniques of teaching and relating to the children. After the mini-retreats we held for them, many of them told us their eyes had been opened and that they saw their ministry in a new light. Praise God for that! The team and I also took part in a medical mission one Saturday in a village pretty far out on a dirt road. We used a school erected there just a few years ago for the people to receive free medical attention. We counted about 400 people who came through the doors that day to see nurses and the doctor, to get medicine, to get one donated outfit and to pray with a prayer team if they so desired. Our biggest hope for the people who came through that day was not only that their basic medical needs would be met, but that they would see their need for God in their lives. Praying with these people was one of the most powerful things I have experienced because their stories were so real. They know that God is all they have to depend on â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for food, for clothing, for shelter, for protection from harm. He is all they have. (Imagine if we in the U.S. lived with that perception daily!) Those who really understood and believed in His providence had more faith than I had seen in a while, if ever. They were so gracious to us for coming to spend time to help them and to pray with and for them that Saturday. Really, everywhere we went people were thankful for us and tremendous in their welcome toward us, which was such a gift while we were in an unfamiliar place and culture. The last component of our mission trip was the physical work projects we took on. We helped build three houses while we were there, all of which were one-room structures. We
God showed us that He called us there not to do but to be.
22 | Virtuous Woman
VW/Brittany Jackson
VW/Brittany Jackson
spent our mornings and early afternoons during the first week constructing a cement block and wooden board house for Ama, a 101-year-old woman who has been blind for two years, and her son, who is paralyzed from the waist down. The third week, we went back to the village each day to build an added-on section to a one-room mud house, made of mud and split bamboo, for Cecelia and the 10 others living there. As the matriarch of her family, Cecelia provided for her children and grandchildren, who all depended on her. We experienced the biggest language barrier of the trip while we worked in this village, but it was the most rewarding and heartbreaking time we had, too. The universal language of love spoke the loudest there, and that’s all we had to depend on to communicate with the young and old alike. While living in Ghana, I saw how much of a gift and need it is to have community in Christ. Being surrounded by people who seek God with their whole hearts and who truly “walk the walk,” living a life of worship to God and love and service to others, inspired me to do the same. I learned the necessity of starting my day off with prayer — giving my day and all I am to God to use for His glory. It was amazing to see firsthand how God continually put me in situations outside my comfort zone. It was through these times that I realized my inability to love, to help, to do, if I failed to hand over all my weaknesses and shortcomings to Jesus and to allow Him to live and move more freely in me. In this I learned what it means to be a vessel for God to flow through and reach His people — the hurting, the lost, the unloved, the sick, the poor, the outcasts. The problems and needs in Ghana were too great for our group to “fix,” and once our mission team came to terms with this truth, God showed us that He called us there not to do but to be. He is God of the universe, and we went to Ghana for His mission, not for our own, not to ease our own consciences. I left Ghana with a heavy heart, a deeper love for these people, a greater sense of self-emptying, a desire for simplicity and a desire to serve God in whatever capacity He calls me. But perhaps the greatest thing I have come away with is a deeper understanding of the vastness of God’s love. It covers all things, heals all things, is freely available for all people and it is the single greatest need for human beings. We are lost without it, and we can’t contain it within ourselves once we receive and experience it. I want to challenge you to love those around you in a more
RIGHT: Ama, 101 years old and blind, lives with her son in Koforidua, Ghana. While Jackson was there, she helped build a cement block and wooden board house for them.
intense way, especially those people who are most difficult for you to love. Short-term mission trips abroad are important parts of the Christian life, but God calls us all to be missionaries right where we are, in that we bring Him and His love to those around us. In “Mission of the Redeemer,” a 2007 encyclical letter sent to Catholic bishops and laity throughout the world, Pope John Paul II wrote, “No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples.” To share Christ is the greatest duty we have as Christians. In sharing Him, the first thing that others must experience is Christ’s love. May you experience God’s love in a more real way than ever before, and may you not be able to keep it in.
Fact Corner: GHANA •
There are 49 different languages spoken in Ghana. In Koforidua, the language is Twi (pronounced chwee).
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Ghana, along with Nigeria, is one of the most internationally respected African countries because of its democracy.
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The average daily wage is less than $3.
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Ghana was the first African country to gain back its independence (1957) after being colonized by the British.
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Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of cocoa, after its neighbor, the Ivory Coast. Virtuous Woman | 23
A Day in the Life of a
Female Marine
By Chelsea Pardue, parduec@email.unc.edu When Opha Mae Johnson became the first woman to enlist over a year into this adventure, I couldn’t be more proud to say in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1918, she probably had no idea that my fiancé is a United States Marine.” that she would start a revolution in the military that would lead Watts enlisted Nov. 13, 2007. She dropped out of college to women directly helping men on the front line less than 100 during her junior year and left for boot camp Oct. 27, 2008. The years later. second hurdle she had to overcome was back surgery on a ruptured Since the 1970s, women have experienced much more disc, which she underwent five months before leaving for boot equality in the military. With the exception of engaging in camp. “At times it still bothers me, especially doing crunches and offensive combat, female Marines have exactly the same sit-ups,” she says. opportunities for advancement and service as males. Currently, Watts attended boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., which is 6.2 percent of Marines are females.1 where all female Marines go to camp. Although not all members One of these Marines is 21-year-old Meredith Watts. of the military fight in combat, they all must go through boot A former student at UNC-Chapel Hill, Watts is currently camp as part of military procedure. According to the online stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for her first assignment as a Parris Island training schedule, recruits go through all different military broadcaster. She arrived in Okinawa Feb. 6. Like most types of physical training, including martial arts, water survival Marines, Watts will spend a year at her duty station with 30 training, rifle shooting, rappel towers and gas chambers.2 days of leave. Women attend different boot camps than men. They are Watts says she has fears and doubts sometimes, but held to the same standards of honor, courage and commitment ultimately she is happy to be part of the military. “I joined — the core values of the U.S. Marine Corps — but some of the military because I was tired of going to college, but more their physical requirements are different. For example, women importantly, I wanted to serve my country and be a part of can do a flexed arm hang instead of pull-ups. Also, women something bigger than myself,” Watts says. “I chose the Marine must complete their three-mile runs in 31 minutes or less, but Corps because I want to continue to hold myself to the highest men have only 28 minutes to complete the run.3 standard in everything that I do.” Watts had to clear her first hurdle right after she enlisted. Although she was happy with the decision she had made, not everyone had the same positive reaction. “My mother had no idea how to react,” she says. “Her and my sister freaked out and screamed and cried. My dad was proud of my decision. Most of my family and friends didn’t understand at first. But as I have progressed throughout my career they see that I am proud and happy and they can’t help but feel the same way.” Gil Brown, Watts’ fiancé, didn’t initially understand why Watts wanted to leave everything she had at home to join the Marines. “At first I was not happy about her decision,” Brown says. “To me, it seemed like a selfish thing of her to do. But as time wore on I figured out that it was set in her heart that she wanted COURTESY OF MEREDITH WATTS to do this, and I had to accept that and Meredith Watts is a military broadcaster stationed in Japan. Above, she is shown working on a support her the best I could. Now after documentary about the Baltimore County Recycling Facility, for which she received an award in 2009. 24 | Virtuous Woman
Watts graduated with honors from boot camp and then moved on to Marine Combat Training. After she finished training, Watts went to a Military Occupational Specialty school in Fort Meade, Md. At her school, Watts studied to become a combat correspondent, or a military journalist. After graduating from this school with honors, she enrolled in another school in Fort Meade to study to become a military broadcaster. There she won an award for best documentary as a broadcaster. Her documentary was about the Baltimore County Recycling Facility. The film showed the process plastics go through after they are picked up from recycling bins. Schedules at these schools are strict, but students still have some personal time. Watts woke up at 4:30 a.m. every weekday morning and went to physical training with COURTESY OF MEREDITH WATTS the rest of her detachment. There were Watts, center, is a proud graduate of Marine Combat Training. All Marines must take this course anywhere from 80 to 110 people in the so that they have a basic understanding of small unit tactics and infantry weapons. detachment, which was co-ed. All members were journalists, broadcasters, lithographers, photographers or Watts’ rank is currently E-3 Lance Corporal. Lance videographers. Corporal is the third enlisted rank out of nine in the U.S. Marine After physical training, she would shower, eat “morning Corps. Lance Corporals advance to E-4 Corporal based on level chow” and attend school from 7:55 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a one- of achievement rather than advancing automatically based on hour lunch break in between. She would attend a flag-lowering the amount of time they spend in military service.4 ceremony every evening before dinner. After dinner, she would Although Watts has done well in the military, she admits relax and do homework and then go to bed around 9 p.m. that it’s hard work. Watts took two classes to prepare for her job as a military “Training is mentally and physically demanding every broadcaster. The first was a class that taught her how to write day,” she says. “Whether it is on the PT field or in the classroom press releases and feature stories. She also learned how to use or at work, you have to apply yourself 100 percent daily so that Adobe InDesign, a program used for newspaper layout. After you don’t fail yourself or, more importantly, your team.” this class, she took a class that taught her how to write and Fear sometimes finds its way into Watts’ mind, but it isn’t announce for broadcasting. First they trained her to be a radio necessarily the typical fears of not performing well or getting DJ; then she learned how to shoot news stories and be a news hurt. “I am scared that I will somehow not be able to have a anchor. family one day with my fiancé,” Watts says. Watts says there are different things to do for entertainment Brown shares some of these concerns. However, he said he at each base. Each base usually has retail and convenience will support his fiancé no matter what she decides to do. “The stores, a grocery store, a bowling center and multiple recreation hardest part about her being in the Marines is that we don’t get centers. to be together as much as I would like,” he says. “We have had While at Fort Meade, Watts won an award from her to change our wedding plans due to her recent orders, which commanding officer based on her performance and leadership are sending her to Japan. That was somewhat frustrating, but I abilities. She was the only student squad leader in her knew going into this that things would be difficult.” detachment to earn this award. Despite the hard work and worries, Watts is able to find motivation in the same things as many other military members. “I am motivated every day by my fellow Marines and also by my fellow Americans when they show their gratitude for the “I am motivated every day by my sacrifices that service members make every day,” she says. fellow Marines and also by my Watts went to Japan based on the needs of the Marine Corps. When she left in February, all she knew was that she fellow Americans when they show would be doing something involving either TV or radio news. their gratitude for the sacrifices that Eventually she hopes to become an anchor for American Forces Network (AFN) Okinawa. service members make every day.”
-Meredith Watts Virtuous Woman | 25
offensive to be searched by a man. To avoid giving offense, female military members often go to the search to aid males in searching women. Although no one wants to be searched, women probably find it less insulting to be searched by another woman rather than a man, who they may think is trying to take advantage of them. Watts says she is happy to be where she is. Before she left UNC-CH, she had taken two communications classes for her communication studies major. Now she’s getting to pursue the occupation she wanted in a field that she finds exciting. The military has helped Watts grow into the person she wants to be. “My short amount of time in the Marine Corps has taught me so many things, not just about my job in particular, but about myself as well. I am now part of a family that COURTESY OF MEREDITH WATTS shares an unbreakable bond of brotherhood. Every day I Watts’ fiancé, Gil Brown, says he supports Watts’ decision to join the military, consider myself lucky to have the opportunities that I do. even though it means postponing their wedding plans. “I couldn’t be more Being a Marine is a new lifestyle, and I love it.” proud to say that my fiancé is a United States Marine,” he says. ____________________ “My biggest duty is to tell the story of my fellow service members,” she says. “At first I will be behind the video camera shooting news stories. Then I will get to disc jockey the AFN radio station. Then if I am lucky and achieve my goal, I will get to be the news anchor for the AFN News.” AFN is a worldwide English-speaking broadcast network run by the military. It broadcasts command information — for example, reminding service members to vote in U.S. elections or promoting local command-sponsored recreation events — as well as popular American radio and television programs. The network provides news, information and entertainment for American service members overseas, where English-language broadcast services may be unavailable or inadequate. Besides the Internet, AFN is often a service member’s best source for news. Being a woman in the military can sometimes be tough, but as it becomes more common, people tend to accept it more. Watts says that she does work with men, but in military broadcasting, there are more women than in most other military fields. “The only time that I feel inferior or looked down upon is sometimes at PT [physical training],” Watts says. “I may not be as strong or as fast as some of the males; however, when they see that I give 100 percent and am out there with them every day trying to better myself, they respect me and don’t give me crap like [they do to] a lot of the other female Marines.” Because of Watts’ occupation, she won’t be involved in frontline duty. However, she does support women who work on the frontlines and thinks some duties are best performed by women. “I believe that women shouldn’t be grunts,” she says, using a slang term that refers to infantrymen — people who engage in direct combat with weapons. “However, I do think that they are beneficial in directly supporting men on the frontlines, whether it be driving in a convoy or kicking in doors so that they can help search the females in the homes to ensure the customs and courtesies of the people are upheld.” Military members must often search civilians to make sure they are unarmed. However, female civilians may find it 26 | Virtuous Woman
“Women Marine Milestones.” Marine Corps Legacy Museum. <http:// www.mclm.com/gallery/womanmarine.html> 2 “Recruit Training Schedule.” MCRD Parris Island Eastern Recruiting Region. 2008. <http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/training/schedule.asp> 3 “STC: Special Training Company.” MCRD Parris Island Eastern Recruiting Region. 2008. <http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/units/rtr/ battalions/supportbn/STC.asp> 4 Rod Powers. “Enlisted Promotions Made Simple.” About.com Guide. <http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/marinepromotions/a/marineprom_2.htm> 1
Timeline of Women in the Marines (Taken from the Marine Corps Legacy Museum Web site)
1918 Opha Mae Johnson is the first female to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve
1943 Ruth Cheney Streeter becomes the first director of Women Marine Reservists
1945 The first detachment of female Marines arrives in Hawaii for duty
1961 The first female Marine is promoted to Sergeant Major, which is the highest rank in the Marines
1965 The first female Marine serves under hostile fire 1978 Margaret A. Brewer becomes the first female Marine general officer
1992 Carol A. Mutter is the first woman to command a Fleet Marine Force unit at the flag level
1993 Sarah Deal is the first woman selected for Naval aviation training
1993 Pilot positions become open to women 1994 Carol A. Mutter becomes the first senior woman on active duty in the armed services
1996 Mutter earns three stars, making her the first
woman in Marine history to do so and the second in all branches of the military
The Gideons International
Reaching the Unreached with God’s Word
By Hadley Heath, hadheath@email.unc.edu It’s a typical scene: two double beds, a safe, a mini-bar, a lamp on top of a one-drawer nightstand.… Who hasn’t stayed in a hotel room like this? Chances are, if a curious guest were to open the drawer of the nightstand, that guest would find a book there — a Bible. Since 1908, a ministry called The Gideons International has been placing Bibles in hotel rooms all over the world. So far, this ministry has distributed more than 1.5 billion copies of the Bible in more than 185 different countries. A small staff of full-time workers supervises the ministry from its international headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., but the group includes as many as 280,000 part-time volunteers worldwide. One of those volunteers, Horace Robertson, works locally in Bible distribution. He told VW that he has seen the work of the Gideons impact many lives. “I spoke recently at a Methodist church and at the end of the service, a young man came up to me with tears in his eyes and told me that the day we were on his campus at N.C. State he was so hungover, he didn’t go to class. He saw that someone had been handed a copy of the Scriptures and put it on a trash can. He picked it up and started reading it, and that’s how he came back into a right relationship with God.” Stories like this one are not rare. For more than 100 years, The Gideons International has been working throughout the world, using the contributions and resources of many churches and individuals to reach those in need of God’s Word. Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” The Gideons International is a ministry that places its faith in God’s promise to use His Word for His purpose.
Impact of The Gideons International The Gideons place each Bible with the estimation that it will be of good use for six years. In that time, the Gideons estimate that each Bible has the potential to reach 2,300 guests. Research from the hotel industry suggests that 25 percent of guests read the Bibles in their hotel rooms, according to The Gideons International Web site. God uses the Bibles placed by the Gideons to encourage many people, and occasionally He uses them to completely change lives. The testimony of a man named Elliot is featured among others on the Gideons International Web site. During a severe struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, he found himself alone in a motel room on Christmas Eve night. His wife had kicked him out of their home, and he intended to commit suicide. Out of anger, he knocked the Gideons Bible in his motel room to the floor. When it fell open, he read these words: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27). Today his family has been restored, and he works as a pastor. The Gideons print Bibles in more than 80 languages, and their mission is to reach individuals who otherwise have not encountered the truth of the gospel. They do not distribute Bibles to other ministries or churches because their mission is to reach the unreached. They estimate that on average, they distribute two copies of God’s Word every second. Horace Robertson said that for him, the most meaningful thing about working with the Gideons is “seeing people come to know Jesus as their Savior. They’ve told me that it doesn’t take human hands, just the Word of God. And that comes from prisoners to college professors.”
How does The Gideons International work? Volunteer members help place Bibles in certain locations or distribute them directly into the hands of people. Besides hotel and motel rooms, the ministry places the copies of Scripture in hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices, domestic violence shelters, prisons and jails. Individual contributions and financial support from churches provide funding for the Bibles. The Gideons focus on reaching out to prisoners, police officers, firefighters, medical and military personnel, and students in the fifth grade and above. Students at UNC fall into this last category, and therefore the Gideons usually visit our campus one day a year. Last year, they distributed 4,000 Bibles on UNC’s campus.
COURTESY OF THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL
Since its foundng in 1908, the Gideons have distributed about 1.5 billion Bibles in more than 185 countries, including Chile (above).
Virtuous Woman | 27
The Differences Matter: Investigating
the
Abrahamic Faiths
By Yelena Pecheny, pyelena@email.unc.edu “Aren’t your religions basically the same?” an audience member asked at last year’s UNC Interfaith Trialogue. Featuring a panel seated by a Christian pastor, a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi, the trialogue served to provide students with a venue in which to air their complaints, misunderstandings, questions and qualms about the three represented religions. Such events highlight the current gaps in the world’s understanding of the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All three religions recognize Abraham as one of their patriarchs and are often discussed comparatively because they grew out of one another. Although the Abrahamic faiths have undeniable commonalities concerning their roots, they diverge when it comes to defining the roles, perspectives and meanings of the figures, histories and places they celebrate, creating incompatible differences. In order to bridge the gap between the actual faith claims made by these three religions and the public’s general lack of understanding of them, it is necessary that we first understand the notion of “worldview.” Simply put, the way you “view” the “world” is embodied in your set of beliefs concerning the nature of the most important issues in life and your response to them. In defining and articulating your own personal worldview, you implicitly ask yourself the following questions: • • • • •
Who or what is God? How should I live, and what is my purpose in life? What is right or wrong, and how can I tell? What happens after life? What is truth and how can I know it, if I can know anything at all?
Among the smorgasbord of ideas, movements, worldviews and opinions out there, it is becoming increasingly important for Christians to be able to recognize the differences and intelligently articulate a biblical worldview — one that is able to distinguish itself from the crowd. Contrary to popular belief, all religions are not the same. They do not teach the same basic doctrines, and they do not give the same message for life and the afterlife. Christian author 28 | Virtuous Woman
and public speaker Dinesh D’Souza states this fact plainly in his book What’s So Great About Christianity?: “Most religions make exclusive and uncompromising claims about God and the human condition. As these claims are often incompatible, there is no way that all religions can be true. Certainly it is possible for several to contain elements of the truth. If one is comprehensively true, however, it follows that the rest must be false.” Christians do not claim to possess all truth; that is something only God can claim. Neither do Christians claim that there is absolutely no truth in other religions and worldviews. There are many truths that are common to all people. But defending the uniqueness of the Christian message is a cause all Christians must take up, and with an attitude of humility, sensitivity and non-judgmentalism, “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). First, it is important to clarify what we’re talking about when we refer to “the Christian worldview,” or Christianity. Most obviously, the questions of worldview can be found and addressed in the Bible; this is where a biblical worldview comes from. The most important part of a Christian’s worldview isn’t simply knowing the answers to these questions, but knowing God. In that lies the crux of Christianity and its “religion.” Admittedly, there are many forms of Christianity out there (as there are with Judaism and Islam). Among those, there are many deviations from Scripture and many who avow their orthodoxy and discredit others’. Despite the variety of denominations and branches of Christianity, the revelation of Scripture brings us to the crucial point, and that is a personal faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. While Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane awaiting His crucifixion, He prayed, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). It is no simple task to outline the differences among the Abrahamic religions, and in order to avoid misrepresentation, it is best to limit our scope. Because I want to present a focused and concise analysis, I will attempt to answer the five aforementioned worldview questions according to the tenets of all three religions.
How should I live, and what is my purpose in life? Judaism, Christianity and Islam Jews derive their life principles all affirm that God is the omnipotent from the Tanakh and the Talmud, creator, all-perfect, all-loving, merciful bodies of sacred texts that delineate and just eternal Spirit being. They divine commandments called also agree on the singularity of God: mitzvot. The Tanakh includes the Judaism and Christianity calling Him Torah (the five books of Moses, or Yahweh (Hebrew), and Islam calling books of the law), the Prophets and Him Allah (Arabic). the Sacred Writings. (Christians call But Christians believe that the Tanakh the “Old Testament.”) although God exists in a singular The Talmud is a collection of essence, that essence comprises rabbinical writings passed down three Persons: Father, Son and Holy orally and written down between Spirit, coequally and coeternally the second and fifth centuries. These God (Matthew 3:13-17). This notion writings interpret, explain and apply is considered wholly blasphemous Torah scriptures. by Jews and Muslims. The Jewish Jewish people follow God’s laws Scriptures state that the Lord God and commandments in different is one (Deuteronomy 6:4), as does ways and to different degrees. the Koran: “Pagans indeed are those SOURCE: NEVIT DILMEN (WIKIPEDIA) Because Jewish thought is so diverse, who say that GOD is a third of a trinity. There is no god except the one A Muslim woman prays before the word “Allah,” written it’s difficult to pinpoint the main purpose of Judaism; it differs from god. Unless they refrain from saying in Arabic on the wall of the Old Mosque in Turkey. this, those who disbelieve among them will incur a painful person to person. It’s probably safe to say that the purpose of life, for Jews, is to live righteously, but just what that means is retribution” (Sura 5:73). Christianity also distinguishes itself when it comes to the up for debate. The purpose of the Christian life, as addressed earlier, is to person of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is the promised Christos (the Greek equivalent of the Jewish Messiah, or develop a meaningful relationship with God, from which will “Anointed One”), as indicated by Mark 14:61-64. Jesus Christ stem good works. In Ephesians 5:8-10, the apostle Paul says, is God revealing Himself in human flesh; He is the Son of God, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. the sinless Redeemer who died and rose again so that sinful Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all man could be reconciled to God and enjoy eternal fellowship goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” Christians believe that God’s greatest commandment is with Him (John 1:12-14; 1 Peter 3:18). Muslims believe that Jesus was only a man, a prophet love: love of God and love of people (Matthew 22:36-40); every below Muhammad in importance, who did not die for man’s act performed in life should be performed through the lens and sins. Some Jews may also accept Jesus as a good teacher or even ultimate goal of love. When He ascended to a prophet, but they reject heaven, Jesus commanded Him as Messiah because His followers to go out He claimed to be divine and make disciples of and He failed to deliver all nations, baptizing Israel from oppression. them in His name and The Hebrew Scriptures teaching them to obey give several specifications everything He had taught as to who the Messiah them (Matthew 28:16will be. He will be a 20). The ultimate aim descendent of King David of the Christian life is (Jeremiah 23:5), observant to trust and follow the of Jewish law (Isaiah teachings of Christ — 11:2-5), a righteous judge love, service and holiness (Jeremiah 33:15) and a being foremost — and to great military leader, but share His gospel message He will not be divine since with others. Jews believe that God is so The main purpose of essentially different and life, according to Islam, is above humans that He SOURCE: Photos8.com to submit to the will of could never become man.
Who or what is God?
A Jewish family prays at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
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Allah. (The word “Islam” literally means “submission.”) But what is Allah’s will? Obedience to the teachings of the Koran. For starters, Muslims must abide by the Five Pillars of Islam, which are: 1. The Creed (Shahadah): “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” 2. Prayer (Solat): A call to prayer occurs five times a day and requires attention to ritual details, such as posture. 3. Fasting (Sawm): The fast lasts the entire month of Ramadan and includes abstinence not only from food, but also from other sensual pleasures. 4. Almsgiving (Zakat): Charitable giving based on accumulated wealth. 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj): All able-bodied Muslims who can afford the trip must travel to this Saudi Arabian city, the birthplace of Muhammad, at least once in their lifetime. In addition to the five pillars, there are countless traditions (hadith) and laws (Shariah) that lay down strict and comprehensive guidelines for Muslims and play a key role in Islamic life.
What is right or wrong, and how can I tell? Within the religious sphere, morality is usually used as a means to an end, that end most commonly being our own salvation. On issues of moral import, the three religions tend to agree on the big stuff (murder, rape, stealing, lying), but the motivations behind their respective moralities differ. Judaism relies on having right action to make one right with God. This idea is best expressed through the ancient system of sacrifices, rituals and works that comprised the legal and moral codes of the Jews. Today, however, while many orthodox Jews still try to follow the “letter of the law” (animal sacrifices excepted), Conservative Jews have a more lenient interpretation of the Torah. Reformed Jews are distanced even further from the traditional practices of Judaism, such as dietary laws and acceptable Sabbath behavior, adapting their religious beliefs to the modern world. Reformed Jews tend to emphasize a social ethic over the strict observance of the Talmud and Torah, according to Franjo Terhart in his book World Religions. Regarding salvation, Jews believe that anyone, Jew or Gentile, may gain salvation through commitment to the one true God and through moral living. Christianity embraces the moral laws of God and views them as an important part of the wholeness of Christianity; however, the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament make clear what these laws are meant to accomplish — to show us that we can never perfectly fulfill God’s holy standards on our own and thus we are in desperate need of a Savior. In Galatians 3:24, Paul says, “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Once we accept that Savior, we receive His Spirit, who enables us to do works that are pleasing to God. Our works do not affect our eternal status, but they please God, which should be the aim of every Christian. Although Christ calls everyone 30 | Virtuous Woman
to right living, He emphasizes the inevitability of sin and the necessity of divine grace. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” In Islam, as in Judaism, salvation must be earned through doing what is right. The Koran declares in Sura 4:124 that “if any do deeds of righteousness — be they male or female — and have faith, they will enter Paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them”; Sura 47:12 conveys this same idea. Salvation is also dependent on adherence to Allah and His will: “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah), Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost” (Sura 3:85). Concerning the concept of original sin and its bearing on morality, Jews and Muslims believe that man is not born good or evil; he is born with a clean slate, free to choose between the two. In Islam, if a man commits sins, he can overcome these sins by acts of the will. As stated in Sura 17:15, “No sinner will bear the sins of anyone else.” Christians counter that man is born corrupted by sin, that it is inherent within our nature due to the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and thus we are spiritually dead apart from God’s grace. Romans 5:12-17 describes man’s death through Adam and life through Christ.
What happens after life? Beliefs about a Jewish afterlife differ from person to person, book to book. Most commonly the emphasis in Judaism is on the present life and not on an afterlife, although there are some Jewish people who hold firm beliefs about the “process” of afterlife, which includes several stages of death, movement among the heavens and final judgment. In some respects, Jewish beliefs are similar to the Catholic concept of Purgatory. Some Jews believe that the souls of the righteous go directly to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that they become reincarnated. Others believe that the soul must first enter into a period of temporal punishment so that it can be purified. As for the unrighteous, some Jews believe that their souls are tortured by demons, or that they are simply annihilated, ceasing to exist. Still others believe that the afterlife for the unrighteous is just a state of consciousness — one of eternal remorse. Christians profess the belief that man is saved through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:24). With this hope comes the expectation of one day being reunited with the risen Savior in His heavenly kingdom. After life, there is more life; however, eternity may be spent either in the presence of God (heaven) or in the absence of God (hell), and it all hangs on the willingness of the individual to choose or reject Jesus Christ as his or her saving grace (John 3:18). Muslims also believe in an afterlife — jannah, or Paradise — and the Koran lists several sins that would send a person to hell, including disbelief, usury and dishonesty. Not unlike Christianity, Muslims hold to a bodily resurrection at the end of the age as well as a period of individual judgment (Sura 23:16). Those chosen by God for salvation will enter Paradise and the damned will burn in eternal torment in hell.
What is truth and how can I know it, if I can know anything at all?
that “those who disbelieve and repel from the path of GOD, then die as disbelievers, GOD will never forgive them.”
There is no unilateral agreement among Jews on the definition of truth. In Orthodox Judaism, truth is the revealed Word of God as recorded in the Tanakh and perhaps a few revelations from rabbinic leaders. For Conservative Jews, the truth of the Hebrew Scriptures is also recognized, yet it is not binding to every word, and it changes as well with every generation. The interpretation of Talmudic and rabbinic teachings, they believe, can change for different audiences. Reformed Jews bear the most liberal approach to truth and believe there to be nuggets of truth within every religion. In Christianity, it is Jesus Himself who says, “I am… the truth … No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus says in John 8:31 that if we hold to His teachings, we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.” So it’s all about knowing Christ, not only in an intellectual sense, but actually bringing that knowledge down 12 inches and connecting to it at the personal heart level in an intimate relationship developed through a life of prayer and disciplined seeking. Muslims, just like Christians, are exclusive in their truth claims; they state that there is no truth outside of Islam and no god outside of Allah, to which the Koran calls all people (Sura 2). Those who are not Muslim are making a conscious decision, and Allah cannot save them from themselves. Sura 47:34 states
Many of the disparities between Judaism and Islam, on the one hand, and Christianity on the other, culminate in the man Jesus Christ who claimed to be God. That character stirred up quite a bit of trouble in the world 2,000 years ago and is still doing so today. If we were to identify just one disunifying aspect when comparing the three Abrahamic religions, it would hinge on the person of Jesus Christ and the beliefs all three have about Him: His nature, His influence on the world and His ultimatum for people. Even this very brief study of these religions should show you that there are obvious differences among them which cannot be rectified by a juvenile claim of a common, linking morality that unites them all. A code of conduct for life is but one facet of these complex religions, and it is a discredit not only to your Jewish, Muslim or Christian friend and neighbor to suppose the three are all “basically the same,” but also a discredit to God. So make up your mind, seek and find Truth. Define your worldview and be able to defend it, because without it you are prone to the confusing and illogical relativism of our postmodern age, which is taking its victims in rapid number. Know the difference. Know uniqueness. And embrace it wholeheartedly.
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Date founded
Unknown, but probably around 2000-1800 B.C.
A.D. 33
A.D. 622
Founder
Abraham
Jesus of Nazareth (or Jesus Christ)
Muhammad
Deity; relationship with deity
One God: Yahweh (strict monotheism)
One God: Yahweh (Trinitarian monotheism)
One God: Allah (strict monotheism)
Sacred texts
Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)
Bible (Hebrew Scriptures + New Testament)
Koran
Other written authority
Talmud, Midrash, Responsa
Church fathers, church councils, papal decrees (Catholic only)
Hadith
Beliefs about Jesus Christ
Just another Jewish rabbi (“teacher”). There was no resurrection or virgin birth.
Born of a virgin; crucified and resurrected; Savior and Messiah; joined with God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Trinity
Jesus was a prophet, virginborn; a mortal (not God); a smart one, but not the Messiah that Muhammad was. Did not die and was not resurrected but ascended into heaven during his crucifixion.
Other great leader(s) Moses, Maimonides
Moses, Paul, the 12 apostles
Abraham, Moses, Jesus
Human nature
Equal ability to do good or evil
“Original sin” (tendency toward evil)
Equal ability to do good or evil
Salvation
Belief in the one true God, good deeds
Faith in Jesus Christ (some denominations emphasize good works and sacraments)
Correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars
Afterlife
Views vary: heaven and hell, Eternal heaven or hell: presence annihilation, reincarnation, a of God or absence of God period of purification, or no afterlife
Eternal paradise or hell
Virtuous Woman | 31
Peace that Transcends All Understanding By Lauren Drawdy, ldrawdy@email.unc.edu
Stress: The icky feeling in the pit of one’s stomach, a nearly constant companion of college-aged students. Homework, studying, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, sports, auditions, GPA, majors, future jobs, future housing, future boyfriend, future spouse, all build up into an overwhelming, crushing feeling of anxiety. How can we handle all this stress? And on top of the million and one things to do during a day, when is there free time to spend with God? How can we possibly manage it all? “Do not be anxious about anything,” the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:6. Easier said than done, right? Yes, the Bible tells us to give up our worries and fears to God, but there are so many things clamoring for our attention that surely it’s OK to be just a little stressed out … right? The world says that yes, we have every right to fret; but by giving ourselves over to the anxieties of our daily lives, we’re implying that “we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s going on in our lives,” writes author Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love. Society constantly tells us that these are struggles that we need to carry — they are highly important burdens that we can handle ourselves. But God tells us that this outlook is foolish. He knows we need food, clothing, water and air; He knows our struggles and anxieties. Therefore, He has promised to provide for His children. In Mathew 6:25, Jesus Christ tells His disciples that life is more than 32 | Virtuous Woman
just food, clothing and other material things. Whatever it is you’re worrying about, just remember: your life is more than that one thing. Life is more than satisfying our physical needs, climbing social ladders or even just being a “good person.” Life is about bringing the greatest glory to God. Throughout the Scriptures, God continually reminds us that He cares for us and loves us. We are infinitely more precious to Him than the birds in the sky or the lilies of the field, yet He nourishes both — how much more will He provide for us (Mathew 6:26, 28)! How much more will He demonstrate His glory and grace in our lives! In Mathew 6:27 Jesus poses a rhetorical question: “Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Stress, anxiety, worry — it is all useless; all it can do is show disrespect for God’s command to trust in Him and rejoice always. God tells us to forget the worries of this world, to forget the fears that claw at our hearts, telling us that God isn’t big enough to handle all our needs. Jesus said that our life journey can never be extended or enhanced by anxiety. So what should we do? How can we be assured that all our needs will be taken care of ? Jesus said the answer is simple. We only need to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to [us]” (Mathew 6:33). God has promised to take care of all our earthly wants and needs — there is no need to be anxious or afraid. He knows the desires of our hearts and promises that by trusting in Him and glorifying Him with our
hearts and actions, we will receive one of the greatest riches of all: His kingdom. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes God’s kingdom as more precious than the finest pearl, something worth selling all your possessions for (Matthew 13:45). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually pointed people toward the treasure to be had within His Father’s kingdom. To access that treasure, we have to break free from worry and depend instead on our Father, trusting in Him to take care of our daily concerns. By doing so, we will live not for ourselves but for God. By glorifying God in all that we do, by understanding and trusting in the fact that He is big enough to handle all the worries of the world, we will inherit the wonders and riches of heaven; we will “shine like the sun” in our Father’s kingdom (Mathew 13:43).
He knows ... He knows
God desires us, with a passion that exceeds all human comprehension, and He wishes to clothe us in His glory. How can He do so, however, if we are constantly worrying about worldly things? How can He break through our self-righteous anxiety and show us that He is infinitely greater than any problem the world can present? Biblical counselor David Powlison, in his booklet “Worry: Pursuing a
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How to Overcome Worry VW/RACHEL DENNIS
Better Path to Peace,” suggests five steps for dealing with anxiety. First, we need to slow down, take a deep breath and make a list of our specific worries. Anxiety tends to be overwhelming, leading us to feel as though the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But by writing down what is truly bothering us, we are able to recognize our fears and realize that they are not boundless, but rather are specific and finite. Second, we need to identify how we express anxiety. Is it a clutching feeling in the gut or throat? A repetitive, obsessive thought? A large bowl of ice cream or a shot of alcohol? Whatever it is that you do, recognizing and identifying these symptoms of worry will alert you to the fact that you are drifting from the peaceful assurance God offers. Third, we need to ask ourselves why we are anxious. What is so important that it has pushed our Father from first place in our lives? In light of God’s perfect sovereignty and provision, is there even a point to our anxiety? Even if the worst were to happen, God will still be God, and we will still have the security of belonging to Him and His kingdom. Next, you should write out and memorize at least one of Jesus’ reasons not to worry. Finding a verse or passage that truly reassures you of God’s promise of peace can
be the best shield from anxiety you could ever find. One such passage is Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Lastly, as the Philippians passage mentions, we need to talk to God ourselves. We need to go to Him with our anxieties and worries and confess that we cannot handle them on our own. The wonderful thing is, He can. And He cares so much about us that He is willing not only to take care of our earthly worries, but also to give us His very kingdom. This is a kingdom of riches beyond anything the earth could ever produce — this kingdom of heaven is full of the light, love and power that is our Lord. It is only by seeking God above all else that He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). God is infinitely worthy of our hearts, our lives, our praise, and when we fully accept that He is all we truly need, the anxieties and worries that constantly plague us will fall away and be replaced with His perfect peace, a peace that transcends all understanding.
Christian counselor David Powlison suggests the following as helpful ways to overcome worry, taken from Matthew 6:25-34.
Why Shouldn’t I Worry? • God will provide for me. • I can’t get farther in life by worrying. • God wants to clothe me in His glory. • If I seek God above all, He will Give me the desires of my heart. • My life is more than ________________.
How to Deal: • List your worries. • Identify how you express anxiety and use these symptoms as cues to stop worrying. • Ask yourself, “Why am I anxious?” • Write out and memorize Jesus’ reasons not to worry; rest in His promises. • Cast your cares upon God.
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In the Word
Steamy Love
By Emily Snow, esnow@email.unc.edu “I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” -Hosea 2:14 Sound like a little seduction going on here? Relaying God’s words to the Israelites, Hosea records this rather steamy piece of Scripture! Once again, God’s people were dividing their love and devotion between Him and a pantheon of false gods. But this time God takes a different approach to restore His beloved to Himself: He calls the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute to show the Israelites that even though they have defiled themselves with other lovers and will continue to do so, He still wants to marry them and love them as a husband loves his wife. God’s love comes in many ways, and what can be found in this verse and in the entire book of Hosea is that God loves like a lover: passionately, alluringly and tenderly. Seduction tends to have a negative connotation because the world associates it with darkness, lust and especially sex. But God created sex to be a blessing of utmost intimacy between a husband and his wife. Sadly, many men and women have looked for intimacy prematurely in everything and everyone aside from the Lover, and He is jealous. The desire for intimacy that God places inside each of us can be completely fulfilled only when it is fulfilled by Him, the one true Lover. In the quest to find true intimacy, it is in our nature to be unwilling to release what we think we want for what God knows we need, but even in our stubbornness, God will do whatever it takes to bless us with the fulfillment of our desire. But before He can seduce us, He demands our attention. This may require Him to tear us away from those things in which we seek false fulfillment. As in Hosea 2, if you can’t turn to God on your own, He may have to put trouble in your path, strip you down to nothing or block your way until you’re lost. When there’s nowhere to go, the Lover is in the perfect place to seduce those He loves. If you seek intimacy, God may break you down, but when He does, be open to the Lover’s seduction. He desires to allure you, to take you to a private place and speak tenderly to you. The Lover entices you to be loved and to love in return. 34 | Virtuous Woman
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Super Strength
By Lauren Temoche, temoche@email.unc.edu “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) This verse, although short, is filled with so much meaning. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi to thank them for sending gifts and contributions to help his ministry and to encourage them in the faith. The letter, which Paul wrote from a Roman prison, is a reminder to be strong and rejoice, regardless of persecution or personal afflictions. Paul was a perfect example of the strength and peace of which he speaks. As one who had suffered hunger, nakedness, beatings, shipwrecks, sleeplessness and fear for his own life, he nevertheless drew strength from Christ’s Spirit and continued on in ministry. This verse is comforting because it reminds me that in every situation, I can call on the strength of Christ to help me through. After we become saved, we are not simply filled with Christ-like strength; rather, Christ’s Spirit literally indwells us and strengthens us. Whenever I feel physically, mentally or spiritually drained, I look to this verse for a reminder that God is always there to give me strength. And not only strength, but the joy that accompanies it. Throughout Jesus’ trials and sufferings, He kept pushing and preaching the gospel, no matter the opposition He encountered. We can use His example as well as Paul’s to know that God-given strength is present not only in the midst of great trials, but also throughout our everyday lives, building us up and keeping us going. This strength can come from nothing worldly, as it is always in us from the moment we profess Christ to be our Savior to the moment we leave this world. God’s strength helps us to be content, no matter our circumstances. It is comforting to know and remember that such an amazing God fills us with the ability to make all things possible.
You, Me & Phoebe
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“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.” -Romans 16:1-2 Phoebe, who delivered Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, is mentioned in only two verses of the Bible. But from these verses we learn she was a woman of great influence and faith. In commending Phoebe to the church in Rome, Paul calls her a sister in Christ, a servant of the church and a great help — three things that Christian women should strive to be today. Paul first identifies Phoebe by her faith, calling her “our sister.” From Cenchrea, a large port city about six miles east of Corinth, Phoebe was united to the Christians in Rome by her faith. Faith defines Phoebe more than her good works. Likewise, our faith should be the most defining thing about us. The next word to define Phoebe is the Greek word diakonos, translated as “servant of the church,” or “deaconess.” Regardless of how it’s translated, this word communicates that Phoebe was a leader in her church in Cenchrea, one who ministered to others. Different denominations have different views on women and leadership, but from these verses we learn that women are an essential part of ministry. Phoebe was also a prostatis, most often translated as “helper,” “benefactor” or “patron.” A patron in ancient Greece supported philosophers, temples and the arts. As a patron of
the church, Phoebe would have been a wealthy woman who gave financially to the church and to Paul, helping to support those in and beyond her local community. The letter to the Romans was one of Paul’s most important letters, and he entrusted it to Phoebe. He must have had great respect for her! As a messenger, Phoebe may have been asked to read the letter aloud to the assembled believers. According to theologian Craig Keener in his book Women in Ministry, Phoebe may also have been expected to clarify any difficult or ambiguous passages in Paul’s letter about which the audience may have had questions. The Romans had never received the teaching of an apostle before, so they likely sought further explanation on some points. This means that Phoebe understood basic Christian doctrines — such as sin, salvation, grace, faith and sanctification — and was able to explain them to others. Paul’s appreciative mention of Phoebe in one of the most often read books of the Bible honors her legacy of Christian leadership. She will forever be remembered as a Christian, a servant of the church and a great help to many people. We can strive to leave a similar legacy — a legacy of faith, service and generosity.
Note from the Editor “You, Me & Women of the Bible” is a regular feature in Virtuous Woman. In every issue, we like to recognize a woman of the faith, one who is mentioned in God’s Word. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not demean women; rather, it consistently honors them as beautiful, worshipful beings and the spiritual equals of men. God sees women as being of infinite value, capable of great things and deserving of respect. Proverbs 31:10 states, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” Throughout the Bible, women hold the various roles of leader, prophet, teacher and evangelist. Miriam, for example, led the Israelites in worship as they left Egypt. Deborah led the nation to military victory. Two books of Scripture — Ruth and Esther — are entirely devoted to women. And of course, God brought His Son into the world through the seed of a woman,
whom He called “blessed,” or highly favored. Women were some of Christ’s most devoted followers; they were there at His crucifixion, and it is women who discovered Jesus’ empty tomb. The most important event of Christianity, and God Himself entrusted its knowledge to women, elevating their testimony to the highest status. Women were instrumental in the establishment and spread of the early church. They hosted house churches, corrected doctrinal errors, prayed with disciples over administrative decisions and financially supported Jesus’ ministry and that of His missionaries. Throughout the Scriptures, God continually affirms the contributions of women to His work. -Victoria Hartz Virtuous Woman | 35
Behind the Painting:
The Virgin in Prayer By Christina Geradts, cgeradts@email.unc.edu Christina is writing from London, where she is taking part in the UNC Honors semester abroad.
Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640-50. Oil on canvas, 73 x 58 cm. National Gallery, London.
Walking through the National Gallery in London, I was overwhelmed. So many great works of art to see in one space, each one deserving of so much time, and here I was just breezing by most of them, stopping to read a placard every now and then. Just as all these astounding paintings of the saints of Scripture were beginning to run together, I came across an oil painting from the 1640s by Italian artist Sassoferrato that was so striking I couldn’t help but stop for a long while and admire it. In The Virgin in Prayer, Sassoferrato depicts Mary dressed simply, yet she is beautiful because of her simplicity. He uses the finest shade of blue for Mary’s outer garment, and I’m afraid that any print copy cannot do the color justice. The
36 | Virtuous Woman
ultramarine pigment the artist used is very expensive because it is derived from a rare, semiprecious stone. It is so beautiful that I cannot imagine Mary’s robes being any lighter or darker. We should look to In Renaissance and Baroque art, red is Mary as a model of one traditionally used as a symbol who lived a virtuous of humanity, while blue life completely devoted is a symbol of clarity and to the service of God, truth. Jesus is often depicted wearing a blue undergarment and it is important to and draped with a red recognize that all our mantle, while Mary wears service and actions a red undergarment with a should be rooted in blue mantle, conveying her human status that has been prayer. draped with the divine truth of Christ. The white of her head covering represents holiness and purity. Mary’s face and eyes are looking downward, drawing attention to her hands, which are closed together in prayer — the focal point of the painting. It’s as if her clasped hands are penetrating the viewer’s space, compelling us to pray. She looks so peaceful and quiet, and we can see that she is sincerely seeking God. The intimacy of the scene is different from that of typical Renaissance paintings, in which Mary is merely part of a larger scene, such as the Nativity or the Crucifixion. In this painting, though, we gain insight into a private moment between Mary and her God, and we see that she is connecting with Him on a deep level. This made me think of an aspect of Mary’s life that is easy to forget: not only was she the mother of God, but she was also a woman of great prayer. Her faithfulness and devotion were so great that God chose her to be the mother of His only Son. We should look to Mary as a model of one who lived a virtuous life completely devoted to the service of God, and it is important to recognize that all our service and actions should be rooted in prayer. Silent prayer is an essential component of being a Christian, for it is through the silence and meditation that we can allow God to speak to us. Let us, like Mary, take time to turn our focus inward. By spending time each day in peaceful contemplation with Christ, we can nurture our relationship with Him and develop a deeper understanding of how God is calling us to glorify and serve Him in our everyday lives.
By Christie Arnold ccarnold@email.unc.edu In Song of Solomon 2:1, the Shulamite woman says to her betrothed, “I am … the lily of the valleys.” If we read Song of Solomon as an allegory of Jesus Christ and His Church, the speaker here is us, Christ’s beloved — we are that lily. But what does that mean? The lily of the valley is a perennial plant native to northern Asia and Europe. It has a tall stem, red berries and white, bellshaped flowers, which give off an incredibly sweet fragrance. In the Bible, there are 15 references to the lily of the valleys, eight of which appear in Song of Solomon. In this book, the king confirms the lily-like quality of his beloved: “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Song of Solomon 2:2). In a figurative sense, this verse shows how highly Jesus values us. He elevates us to royal status, and because of His love and mercy, we stand out amid this sin-filled world as a lily stands out amid thorns. Lilies are exceedingly white, which can be said to represent the purity and holiness we attain through Christ. By comparing us to a lily, Jesus shows that He views us as perfectly pure and blameless. He looks at us and sees not our sin, but His righteousness living in us. The lily plant also yields red berries. This color is a reminder of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, which enables us to bear fruit unto Him. If we have accepted His salvation, His Spirit lives in us and empowers us to do good works. Jesus says in John 15:5, “He that abides in me, and I in him, brings forth much fruit.” The lily has a tall stem, yet its flowers bow down toward the ground. This picture illustrates the necessity of humility in the Christian life. Jesus Himself exemplified perfect humility by taking on the form of man and coming to Earth. Paul says in Philippians 2:7-9 that Christ “made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant … he humbled himself and became obedient to death … SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place.” Even though God gives us the confidence to stand tall in the knowledge of Him, we must never forget to bow our heads in contrition for our sin and adoration of His mercy. Because of its attractive fragrance, the lily of the valley is often used today in the manufacture of perfume, scented candles, potpourri products and soaps. Like the lily, we give off a sweet-smelling aroma — the aroma of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who … through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” As Christ’s bride, we bear His fragrance wherever we go. Our love for Him should be so strong that others can’t help but be drawn to the precious scent of His gospel. Furthermore, the lily of the valley spreads rapidly, forming extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. Similarly, Christ’s beloved church has expanded greatly beyond its humble origins in first-century Palestine. God tells Hosea in Hosea 14:5, “I will be like the dew to Israel, He will blossom like the lily.” This verse reminds us of God’s continued faithfulness to His people. In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul says, “As you received Christ Jesus, so live in Him, rooted and built up in Him.” In order to follow God, we must know Him and therefore must be rooted in His Word. The Bible provides encouragement, instruction and truth for our lives. As a lily obtains nutrients from the ground soil, so must we gain spiritual nutrients from His Word. In Luke 12:27, Jesus says, “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Like the lilies, we don’t have to strive hard to be beautiful; instead, we simply receive and grow in God’s sustaining grace. God clothes His beloved in His glory, a glory that far surpasses that of all earthly things. The deceptively simple symbol of the lily which appears throughout the Scriptures reveals much about our relationship with Christ. Christ calls us His sweet, precious lily. He clothes us in white and makes us His fragrant, immaculate bride. He enables us to bloom and to flourish. It is important for us, as Christ’s beloved, to remember that He is our perfect King who loves and cherishes us forever.
God clothes His beloved in His glory, a glory that far surpasses that of all earthly things.
Virtuous Woman | 37
Getting Fit
By Kaitlyn Jongkind, jongkind@email.unc.edu VW/REBECCA RIDDLE
The gym buzzes with activity and smells of sweat. Muscles flex, sneakers tread rubber belts and ponytails bounce. Machines that look like instruments of torture line the walls. It’s enough to make you want to run. In the other direction, that is. Getting fit does not have to be painful and humiliating. You can improve your fitness in a number of different ways that may or may not include stepping foot in a gym. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an exercise routine should include aerobic activities, such as running, and muscle-strengthening activities, such as lifting weights. The type of activities you choose is up to you.
Aerobic Activities
Benefits of aerobic activities include improved cardiovascular health and reduced stress. At least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-level activities or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activities each week are enough for substantial health benefits. When performing moderate-intensity activities, you should be able to talk but not sing the words to your favorite song. When performing vigorous-intensity activities, you should only be able to say a few words without pausing for a breath. Vigorous activities include running, singles tennis and aerobics classes. Moderate activities include walking, doubles tennis and leisurely biking. Moderate and vigorous activities can be combined in one workout — for example, running and walking. For additional benefits, aim for twice the minimum amount of aerobic activity (five hours moderate or two and a half hours vigorous) or more each week. Joining a sports or dance team is a good way to commit yourself to regular aerobic activity. Here are some extracurricular aerobics classes offered at UNC: • Cardio Blast: Incorporates kickboxing, step, interval training and more. • Cardio Funk: Based on hip-hop. • Kickboxing: Learn punches, kicks and boxing maneuvers. • Step Aerobics: Uses a stepping platform to intensify the workout. • Zumba: Based on Latin and international dance themes.
Muscle-Strengthening Activities
Strength training can be intimidating, but once you develop a regular routine, it doesn’t have to be. Muscle-strengthening activities should be performed at least twice a week. Exercise 38 | Virtuous Woman
each major muscle group: legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders and arms. Lifting free weights, using weight machines at the gym or attending group exercise classes are easy ways to perform muscle-strengthening exercises. Check out these UNC muscle-strengthening classes: • Absolution: An abdominal workout. • Butts, Guts & Thighs: Works the lower body. • Core: Your core includes everything minus your arms and legs (think abs, chest, back, neck, etc.). Use a Reebok core board and balance balls. • Muscle cut: A full-body workout using a plate loaded bar, free weights, resistance bands and more. When lifting free weights or using weight machines, perform one set of 12 repetitions for each exercise. For example, do 12 bicep curls, and then move on. If lifting becomes too easy for you, increase the weight or do an additional set. Weight machines usually have pictures that explain how to use them and the muscle group that is exercised. Don’t forget to stretch the muscles you use, both before and after exercise, to improve your range of motion. Also, don’t exercise the same muscle groups on two consecutive days, as your muscles need time to repair themselves. When muscles repair themselves, they get bigger and stronger. The repairing process is the point of strength training.
A Fit Lifestyle
Try incorporating more movement into your day, such as walking to class instead of taking the bus, or taking breaks from studying to stretch. Choose activities you enjoy and you’ll find it’s easy to meet the recommended health guidelines. But don’t be afraid to try new things. You may actually find that you like going to the gym.
To find out the days, times and locations for the group exercise classes at UNC or to look for other campus fitness opportunities, visit campusrec.unc.edu
Sample Exercise Routine SUN: Off MON: one-hour Cardio Blast class (vigorous aerobic) TUES: 30 mins free weights (muscle-strengthening), 30 mins biking (moderate aerobic) WED: one-hour Core class (muscle-strengthening) THURS: 30-minute run (vigorous aerobic) FRI: Off SAT: one-hour nature walk (moderate aerobic)
Put on a Fruity Face Do-it-yourself facial masks for different skin types
By Alesia Williams, alesiaw@email.unc.edu “And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds.” -Genesis 43:11 (KJV) God intends for us to use for our own pleasure the natural foods and flavors He created. In Jacob’s day, fruits, honey, spices and nuts were presented as gifts — in this verse, to the governor of Egypt. Even today, organic products are enjoyable and have multiple uses. For example, you can mix them together to make a facial mask and treat yourself to a little rejuvenation!
Facial masks are used to nourish and treat the skin. They work in various ways to cleanse, hydrate and/or soften the skin, improving its look and tone. To make these masks, mix together the ingredients with a spoon or a blender. When the mixture is ready, slowly rub a hot washcloth over your face to open up your pores, and then dry your face. Spread the mixture evenly over your face, avoiding the eye area, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then rinse off the mask using cool water to close the pores. Each recipe makes one mask.
Oily Skin These facial masks remove excess oil and cleanse the pores.
Normal Skin
Grapefruit Mask
Avocado and Carrot Mask
1 egg white (beat until fluffy) 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 1 teaspoon of sour cream
1 carrot, boiled until soft 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1/2 ripe avocado
Banana and Honey Mask
Strawberry Lemon Mask
1/2 banana, mashed 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt 1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of lemon juice 2 egg whites 3 teaspoons of honey 4 to 5 strawberries VW/JOHANNA CONTRERAS
Dry Skin These facial masks hold water in and help keep the skin hydrated.
Classic Milk Mask
2 teaspoons of milk 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel 2 drops of essential oil (jasmine) 1 tablespoon of crushed almonds
Rosewood Exfoliating Mask 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon of whole milk
Yogurt-Oatmeal Mask 1/2 cup of plain yogurt 1/2 cup of oatmeal 2 drops of essential oil (jasmine)
Chocolate Mask
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder 1 tablespoon of heavy cream 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese 4 teaspoons of honey 1 teaspoon of oatmeal
All Skin Types Milk and Honey Mask 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon of whole milk
Peach and Honey Mask 1 medium peach, boiled until soft 1 tablespoon of honey 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
Banana and Oatmeal Mask 1 banana, mashed 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oatmeal
Yogurt and Strawberry Mask 1/4 cup of plain yogurt 3 to 4 strawberries
Virtuous Woman | 39
Dinner and a Movie:
Chocolate-Lovers Edition By Hope Griffin hegriffi@email.unc.edu
Strawberry Salad
Incorporate two of a girl’s favorite indulgences — chocolate and chick flicks — into one night. Invite some friends over to help you make this three-course meal, each dish of which has been influenced by the sweet flavor of the cacao bean. Then watch the 2000 movie Chocolat, about a single mother, played by Juliette Binoche, and her 6-year-old daughter, who move to rural France to open a chocolate shop. Each recipe makes four servings.
Rosemary Beef Medallions Ingredients: 1 pound of beef tenderloin 2 tablespoons of butter, divided 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon of dried rosemary leaves 1/4 cup of dry red wine or beef broth
with Chocolate Balsamic Dressing Ingredients for Salad: 1 bag of spinach or romaine leaves 1 cucumber 4 cups of strawberries 1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese Ingredients for Dressing: 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 3/4 of a cup and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 2 dark chocolate squares (sweetened)
VW/HOPE GRIFFIN
Directions: 1. Slice the cucumbers and strawberries. In a large bowl, mix them in with spinach or romaine lettuce. Top with bleu cheese. 2. To make the dressing, pour the balsamic vinegar into a saucepan, add sugar and dissolve over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 squares of chocolate. Leave the dressing to cool at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate or it will solidify.) Then drizzle it on top of the salad.
Chocolate Cherry Milkshake Ingredients: 8 scoops (about 4 cups) of vanilla ice cream 1 1/2 cups of cold milk 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup 16 maraschino cherries, stems removed Whipped topping (optional) Additional cherry or cherries (optional) VW/HOPE GRIFFIN
Directions: 1. Cut the beef into 3/4-inch slices. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over mediumhigh heat. In the skillet, fry the beef for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the outside of the beef turns brown. (Cook the inside to your liking.) Remove the beef to a warm platter; keep warm. 3. To make the sauce, cook and stir the remaining butter, cocoa powder, salt, garlic and rosemary in a skillet until bubbly. 4. Gradually stir in the wine or beef broth. Cook on high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 5. Serve the sauce over the beef. 40 | Virtuous Woman
Directions: 1. In a blender, combine the ice cream, milk, syrup and cherries. VW/HOPE GRIFFIN Cover, then blend until smooth. 2. Garnish with whipped topping and a cherry, if desired.
You can find these and many other delicious recipes online at www. cdkitchen.com (Beef Medallions), www.recipezaar.com (Strawberry Salad) and www.hersheys.com (Chocolate Cherry Milkshake).
Suggested Reading
By Victoria Hartz, hvictori@email.unc.edu
Reading Christian literature can be an extremely edifying enterprise. There is comfort, inspiration and wisdom to be drawn from the experiences and insights of others. Whether memoirs, commentaries, devotional writings, histories, allegories, apologetic defenses or novels, Christian literature can help you grow in your spiritual walk by forcing you to think of God, and the things of God, more deeply, or differently, or from a fresher perspective. But make sure you read with a critical eye, checking all things against the Scriptures. The authors of the following four books come from different time periods, countries and backgrounds: a Latin church father from northern Africa, a retired sociologist professor from Israel, a mega-church pastor from Manhattan and an Underground Church leader from Romania. Each book tackles a different topic and is written in a different style, but all help illuminate the poignant truths of God’s Word.
Confessions By St. Augustine
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism By Timothy Keller
“Our heart is restless, until it rest in Thee.” So opens the autobiography of St. Augustine of Hippo, written in the late fourth century. With a tone of sincerity and brokenness, Augustine recounts the painful yet retrospectively glorious process of his conversion. He writes in direct address to God, expressing remorse for the many years he spent in sexual sin and vain philosophies but celebrating the all-encompassing grace of the Savior.
In this systematic defense of Christianity, Keller dismantles seven common doubts of the unsaved, crossing the disciplines of philosophy, anthropology and literature to do so. In Part 2, he explains the significance of sin, the crucifixion and resurrection, and what it means to glorify God. Although addressed to skeptics, the book is a great tool for Christians because it challenges you to look for reasons behind your faith and to respond to skeptics in a language they understand.
The Song of Hannah By Eva Etzioni-Halevy This historical fiction work is set in Israel during the 11th century B.C. Told in alternating chapters by the two wives of Elkanah — Pninah and Hannah (friends turned rivals) — the story provides an imagined context for 1 Samuel 2:1-10, in which Hannah gives thanks to God for the birth of her son, Samuel, later to become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
Tortured for Christ By Richard Wurmbrand Wurmbrand founded the Underground Church of Romania in 1944. Seized by Communists, he was imprisoned and tortured for 14 years. A quick but heavy read, this book is a call to believers everywhere to feel the pain of persecuted Christians throughout the world and to reclaim the collective spirit of zeal and sacrifice that characterized the early church, alive in persecuted nations today but dead in America. Virtuous Woman | 41
Waning By Hope Griffin hegriffi@email.unc.edu
AUTHOR’S PREFACE: Our journey with our Savior is not always a pretty one, and I wanted to share a poem I wrote while hitting one of the low points on that journey. I wrote this poem toward the end of a destructive relationship. I had turned into this person I knew I wasn’t. Emotionally, I was very numb. I couldn’t truly laugh or cry; I was ignoring all my problems. Basically, this poem is a plea to God to reveal to me that I am still
human. That my true self had not entirely faded into this thing I hated. Perhaps some of you can relate. If you can, I hope that you take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in hitting those low points. I also hope we can all be reminded that as we struggle through those times, Jesus is right there with us, constantly desiring for us to give Him our hearts completely.
Wandering mind No longer mine A silicone soul Artificially whole Something is pumping through my veins I pray to God that it’s still blood Incandescent laughter Fades even faster Truthful tears Dried up last year Will it hurt if I fall? I might have to… Please Lord, let the blood be red. The sun rises The sun sets But the moon — disappears.
42 | Virtuous Woman
Photo: VW/RACHEL DENNIS
WORD JUMBLE Unscramble these four jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four words. Each word appears somewhere in this magazine.
AMRUITRLAEN
Illustration by Rebecca Riddle, rriddle@email.unc.edu
EKBNOR
PINSASO
HPAUCPH
CLUE: Moses started out as one.
Now arrange the circled letters to form the answer, as suggested by the above cartoon. Answer here:
A “
”
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Virtuous Woman | 43
Mission
To inspire, encourage and challenge college women in their walks with Christ.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.â&#x20AC;? -Proverbs 31:10
Comments or questions? Would you like to join VW? Want to advertise? E-mail: virtuous_woman@unc.edu Visit us on the Web: http://studentorgs.unc.edu/vw/ 44 | Virtuous Woman