christmas
Also: the specificity of birth. This gets really cis-centric really fast, so I want to make clear: birth is tainted by its association with women. That does NOT mean birth is a qualification to be a “real” woman. Many women, men and nb people cannot give birth and it pains them. Many women, men, and nb people delightedly never give birth - yay! Some men and nb people give birth. Still: birth is coded as “women-stuff,” which renders it outside of “serious” church consideration and examination. Even though it is a strange power. Even though it is pain and blood and glory. Even though it is science fiction (imagine aliens asking: “Wait, how do humans get more humans?” “Well, we grow them inside our bodies for several months and then carry them around symbiotically while we feed them white stuff from other body parts specifically made for their bodily needs which we assess by a vacuum mechanism from their mouths while they suck on our bodies.” “WHAT?!!!”). Even though it is always happening, everywhere, and simultaneously new, and unique, every damn time (like grace, like mercy, like love, like God).
I keep thinking about how “born-again” Christians overwhelmingly voted for Roy Moore.
I worry about the church saying: what you *really* need is a birth mediated by a MAN. Forget your first birth and what it meant. It was gross. Women-stuff. Boring. Wash that off - let a man handle your born-again, let a man be in charge of this birth. Then you’re better. Then you’re OK. Then you’re healed. The man-birth is the one that matters.
