Whether it was the coo of my little niece, not to mention her distinct, intoxicating newborn baby smell, I was rejuvenated and renewed to think about the gift of our gender. Built to carry and bear children, women have been given such a wonderful role. On top of that, we have the ability to nurture and care for children (and people) that manifests itself distinctly because of our biology and yes, theology. Men care too, of course, but his is a quality of care that sets the genders apart, generally speaking. Psychologists and Sociologists will deem men and masculine traits as “problem solvers, protectors, providers,” while women and feminine traits are “nurturers, and attentive to emotional responses and details.” Of course we know that both women and men can overlap in these traits, and that it is neither right nor wrong to be predisposed to some traits more than others, if it does not coenside with your gender. However, the gift that your gender brings is truly Christological.

Reiterated over and over in Scripture, Christ is as bridegroom as the Church is as Bride. These are distinct gender representations to illustrate the Gospel. Christ laid his life down for his church, so it could walk in newness of life. So too, a husband (and a gentleman) will put himself in harm’s way to protect and provide for a wife and woman. Likewise, because women are the recipients of these actions, they respond in like, gracious manner, tending to the needs of her counterpart. Of course, this is hard to see at times because we live in a fallen world. Dead beat dads, divorce and abusive relationships marr that image of Christ and His church. Even good and godly relationships suffer because of sin. But thanks be to God that His grace is made known at the cross (not in our faulty behavior); in that love is NOT a feeling, but an action fulfilled on our behalf by our bridegroom, Christ, in his death and resurrection.

Woman can roar, (i.e., learn, work, achieve, and nurture their families) but suffice it to say, we cannot be fathers. There is a special role set aside for each gender. We can demonstrate Christ’s mercy, but his headship? No. A woman’s recourse is hymnody, prayer, praise and thanksgiving with all the company of saints in her daily life and in the liturgy. Dare I ask, as a Christian woman, what can be better than that?

How do atheists celebrate Christmas? The ever articulate, never boring, Dinesh D’Souza asks this question here.

My other question is WHY do atheists celebrate Christmas?

The new atheists like Sam Harris, Philip Pullman and Christopher Hitchens like to claim that religion, and Christianity in particular, is responsible for the bulk of the world’s woes. If I believed that to be the case, I would find it disingenuous to participate in any fashion in the global commemoration of the birth of Jesus.

But then again, people who try to seriously argue that religion, and Christianity in particular, are a blight on human history are not especially clear thinkers. Have Christians or others done horrid things supposedly in the name of Christ or His Church? Yes, sadly. But the burning of witches and heretics is not all there is to say about Church history, surprising as that may be for some.

If you affirm the value of clear balanced argument, then I commend a book to you by Dr. Alvin Schmidt called How Christianity Changed the World. You will find that everywhere the Church has exerted cultural and social influence, that society became more humane, more compassionate, more peaceful, and generally more prosperous. I liked the original title of his book, Under the Influence, but I guess the connotations were distracting.