On January 21, 2017, day two of the president’s first week in office, city streets in America and around the world were flooded with predominately pink-hatted female protesters raising awareness of women’s rights. The pink hats were a visible protest of how, during the presidential campaign, the issue of sexual assault against women was brushed off as mere “locker room talk.”
Despite the fact that the topic didn’t seem to be a deal breaker for supporters of the current president (even his evangelical supporters), it is an issue that as Christians we can’t afford—and women won’t allow—to drop.
Sexual assault isn’t mere “talk” to women. Far from it. It is a brutal reality for one out of four women, and that figure probably understates the problem, since many assaults go unreported.
After the protests, my friend, Professor Paul Louis Metzger asked if I’d be willing to do an interview on the march and how the Bible speaks (or doesn’t) to women’s rights. That led me, strangely enough, to re-examine the interactions between Ruth the Moabitess and Boaz in the Old Testament book of Ruth.
After responding to the questions, I’m convinced Boaz would be totally on board with the Women’s March. See if you agree.
Interview: “On the 2017 Women’s March Across the Globe”
Carolyn Custis James 