If someone had told me I would be discussing the Bible with my critique friend, I’d say that person was dreaming.
Not going to happen. Nope. Never. Not that I would be averse to such a discussion, but I was sure she wouldn’t go for it. She’d wondered why choosing to divorce my husband had been such a struggle. “I’d never put up with that ****,” she declared. “I’d tell him to go where the sun never shines!” In frustration and jest, she inadvertently named my memoir. “Just call it God, the Devil, and Divorce,” she cracked. I seized on her suggestion and ran with it, as it perfectly describes all three elements of my story. Additionally, the title is controversial, and controversy tends to sell books.
Nevertheless, I figured my friends deserved a copy.
The paperback version of the memoir will be released until March, but I have copies on hand. I figured my friend deserved one for her contribution even though I wasn’t sure she’d bother to read it. A few days later she surprised me with a call. I was even more surprised with what she had to say.
” I get it!”
“I just finished your book, and I get it!” she declared. “You were wrestling with what you’d been taught versus what you came to believe. I was a Sunday School kid like you, but when I became an adult, I thought most of what I was taught was false, and I turned my back on religion. But you point out in your book that we weren’t always given the full story of what the bible says, like the part where it says wives need to submit to their husbands. Our teachers neglected the rest of that passage where it says husbands should submit to their wives as well—it’s a mutual submission. That makes sense!”
“Right!” I replied. “Unfortunately, the true meaning of some passages in the Bible have been obscured over the centuries, either by skewed translations or by church leaders who couldn’t get past their own prejudices.
“Men, I’m sure,” she said.
“Pretty much,” I agreed. “Thankfully, many men and women Bible scholars of today are working to understand what those passages were originally meant to convey. Unfortunately, there are too many church leaders who still cling to a misogynistic Bible interpretation, claiming God has declared men should rule over women. When a marriage falls apart, wives are blamed and shamed. I’m trying to shine a light on this problem in the Christian community.”
My friend’s response is what I’m hoping for—readers resonating with my story, understanding the struggle and its resolution. Maybe they’ll even consider new Bible translations and come to a better understanding of Christ’s teachings that men and women have equal value and should be equally loved and respected.
Blessings,
P.S. Email me to purchase an autographed copy. I use inexpensive media mail, and there’s no charge for packaging. Just $16.99 plus tax and $2.80 for shipping. Linda@Lindamkurth.com. The book can also be pre-ordered through several online bookstore.
Linda M. Kurth is a writer and a divorced and remarried Christian. In going through the divorce, she experienced a dichotomy of responses from the Christian community. After sharing some of those experiences in her memoir, God, the Devil, and Divorce, she’s heard many stories of divorced Christians who have struggled with the same issues. This blog invites divorced Christians to tell their stories with the goal of encouraging churches to resist condemnation and become a source of healing and grace. Contact Linda: Linda@LindaMKurth.com
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about women.
