Prof. Rea Angelica Faulan Villeza, Chairperson of the Department of Religion and Ethics delivered a sermon during the 118th Memorial Service.
Good morning everyone! It is an honor to speak to you today on this hallowed ground where great men and women of God, the forebears of our Baptist faith were laid to rest as we celebrate the 118th year of our dear alma mater, Central Philippine University. This year’s celebration with the theme, “Celebrating the Generations of Empowered Centralian Women” underscores the importance of women empowerment and the countless contributions of women, particularly Centralian women. If I’m not mistaken, this the first time that the theme of our Foundation celebration focuses specifically on women. I agree that it is high time to highlight the contributions of Centralian women of both the past and of the present to the continuing development and growth of our esteemed institution, with the hope that it will spark inspiration and encouragement among other women who continue to remain in the shadows and doubt their capabilities to achieve great things, as well as open the eyes of the people that every person, regardless of gender, is with dignity and worth by a just and loving God.
Women empowerment and gender equity and equality have been a struggle among women all over the world, across all generations. History, from Biblical times up to the post-modern world, is replete with stories of women fighting for justice, equality, and empowerment. It has also been affirmed, time and again, that gender justice and equality, would remain elusive if women empowerment is absence in any society or community. Abidemag.org defines women empowerment as “equipping women with the knowledge, resources and opportunities to understand their self-worth, make their own choices, and influence social change.” It contradicts the notion that empowerment is to transfer power from the dominating force to the weaker one, hence, rendering the source of such power weak and reversing the roles. (Amo na nga nahadlok ang iban nga mga tawo or sectors sang idea of empowerment kay abi nila, kuhaan sila poder kag ihatag sa isa ka tawo ukon grupo nga maluya, kag ang resulta, ang pagbaliskad na sang sitwasyon). Empowerment means, enabling people to use whatever power, resources, capacities they have so that their conditions will improve and experience comfort and sufficiency; or it also implies sharing of resources so that everyone will experience the same quality of life.
I see this concept of empowerment in the story of the daughters of Zelophehad as read in our text found in Numbers 27:1-11. The story of the daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah happened towards the end of the wilderness journey from Egypt, and when they were nearing the Promised Land. The laws during those times do not permit women or daughters to be inheritors of their father. Tradition and culture in Biblical times put women at a disadvantage. They were considered inferior to men, and even worse, as property of men. They were not allowed even to speak out their minds without the permission of men. The daughters of Zelophehad, however, challenged this long-held tradition when they came to Moses, Eleazar, the priests, the elders, and the whole assembly in front of the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting that symbolized the presence of God. They petitioned for their father’s property to be given to them instead, and to carry the name of their father, in the absence of a son who, in their culture, had the right to carry their father’s name. These courageous daughters of Zelophehad took a huge risk of being ostracized, rejected, banished from their community, and denounced by their relatives when they raised their voices against what they thought was an unfair and oppressive system in their community. Their saving grace was Moses’ decision to consult God, instead of giving out his own judgment immediately. Moses listened to their petition and brought it to God. And the word of God to Moses shed a brighter light upon the daughters of Zelophehad. God affirmed that their petition was right, and in His justice and righteousness, God changed the laws so that if a father dies and has no son, his daughters will receive the inheritance. The daughters of Zelophehad showed that they were empowered women who understood their situation, knew their rights, and used whatever courage and resources they had – in their case, their voice—to find a solution to their problem.
There are three lessons or principles on women empowerment that I have drawn from the story of the Zelophehad’s daughters. Let me share this with you now:
- Recognize that women have equal rights to take hold of their life and fight for what rightfully belongs to them.
The daughters of Zelophehad decided to take hold of their lives, to make decision for themselves which they thought was right and beneficial for them, and took the courage to act upon that decision or choice. One indication of empowerment is people having power and control over their lives, guided by their conscience, and in the context of Christians, their moral compass is the Word of God. The creation story in Genesis clearly emphasizes that God created both men and women in his own image, and breathed into them His own breath of life. Hence, every human being, either man or woman, regardless of gender, has the same freedom to make decisions and choices for their lives, since each has been endowed with the divine spark that enables them to discern right from wrong.
Gender should never be a cause to deprive a person his or her own God-given rights to freely make choices, and to enjoy the same privileges, rights, resources and opportunities that will enable him/her to experience quality of life and service. The history of CPU bears witness to the Baptist missionaries’ efforts to uphold the equal rights of men and women to self-determination, growth and development, and especially to receive the grace of God for salvation. They preached the Gospel to both men and women, and offered opportunities for education and training to both. In 1904, they opened the Baptist Missionary Training School for women under the supervision of a woman missionary, Ana V. Johnson., and in 1905, the Jaro Industrial School for boys. Our Baptist forbears were way ahead of their time in terms of giving equal rights and privileges to education to both men and women at such a time when women were marginalized and dominated by men, and gave both the opportunity to listen and respond to the Gospel of salvation. As in the story of the daughters of Zelophehad, the five women taught their male-dominated community that both men and women are equal in the eyes of God, and have equal rights in preserving their lives and well-being.
- Support and encourage women’s initiatives to change and improve their situation or condition
Zelophehad’s daughters understood that the laws were against them. Tradition and culture were forces to reckon with and cannot be easily overcome. But this did not stop them to try and raise their voices against the unfair system in their community that was oppressive and selective. They came out of their safe spaces and expose themselves to danger when they came to Moses and all the other community leaders in the presence of the community to raise their issues and sentiments. Although it could have placed them in precarious situation, yet they stood their ground. Consequently, their voices were heard, and their petitions attended to.
In many occasions and places in the world, women’s voices are muffled, and their efforts to bring their concerns to proper venues and people in authority are obstructed by those who are threatened by possible changes that would affect their sense of power and authority. Women who continue to struggle for empowerment and equality are often at the receiving end to threats, discrimination, and injustice. Despite these, they take risks for the sake of their causes and legitimate concerns.
As a Christian institution, we must be supportive of women initiatives to effect change in our society or community. By practicing our core values of faith, justice, character, integrity, and excellence, we would be able to assist women and all other members of our society in their pursuit of peace, equality and respect and help alleviate the conditions of those who are often pushed to the sides. Our institution should be a safe space or environment where people thrive and grow to reach their optimum potential as God’s creation. Let us draw inspiration from the Baptist women missionaries who were brave enough to go from one place to another, unmindful of the risks and discomfort just for the sake of helping transform the lives of the people. In fact, it must be noted that of the eleven missionaries killed by the Japanese in Hopevale, seven of them were women who died for the sake of their faith and God-given mission.
- Cooperation and collaboration between women and men are essential to gender empowerment, justice and equality
The success of Zelophehad’s daughters to change the laws and consequently their situation cannot be attributed to them alone, but also to Moses who listened to them and brought their concern to God. Moses became their collaborator to bring their petition to the rightful authority – God, himself. If Moses had not worked on their behalf, their story might have ended differently. But because Moses took their cause as his own, advocated for them, thus, their petition was heard by God and given proper attention and efficient solution.
The history of women’s struggle for empowerment and equality has not fully reached its height and has not been addressed completely because they have not yet brought the men on their side. For as long as there are still men who oppose the initiatives and efforts of women towards empowerment; men who continue to abuse and dominate women because they think women are their inferior or women as objects of pleasure; and men who would never share their power with women because they always want to have control, the struggle of women for justice and equality would continue. Unless men’s perspective towards women is changed and they are willing to stand and fight alongside women, the world will continue to be biased towards one gender, to be unjust, unkind and unsafe for every child, man, and woman created by God.
Our university must provide avenues for cooperation and collaboration between and among all kinds of people, modeling the inclusive and unconditional love of God for all people, standing alongside the marginalized, oppressed, deprived and discriminated simply because of their preferences, identity, physical appearance, beliefs and social status. Like Moses, we must also take up the causes of women and other less privileged members of our community and respond according to the will of God, revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ summed up in his two greatest commandments, Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
CPU, in its 118 years of existence, has produced countless women who have positively impacted our community and the world; women who are empowered, and also help empower others, both men and women. Our mission is to offer exemplary Christian education for life that is responsive to the needs of the total person – man or woman – and the world, however there is still a lot to do when it comes to ministering to and training of women to be like Zelophehad’s daughters who are unafraid to take initiatives for their cause and the common good, who understand their rights to equal opportunities and resources, and who welcome cooperation and collaboration with other groups and sectors of the community.
May we continue to open doors for women as much as we do for men, and shatter glasses that confine women to a limited and limiting environment so that they may truly be free to explore and utilize their God-given potentials.
Let us remember that Jesus intentionally included women and those at the periphery of his society in his redemptive act and mission in the world. Carlos Rodriguez has this to say: “Jesus protected women. Empowered women. Honored women publicly. Released the voice of women. Confided in women. Was funded by women. Celebrated women by name. Learned from women. Respected women. And spoke women as examples to follow….Our turn here at Central Philippine University.