“Gender” is a buzzword likely to make our palms sweat, blood boil, or minds race. Maybe all three at once.
The issue is political and social—affecting policies and culture. But it’s also personal and theological—touching our insecurities, experiences, and deeply held beliefs.
What does it mean to honour God with our full selves?
This question is threaded through the articles in this issue. Expressions of femininity and masculinity are wonderfully diverse throughout Scripture and across cultures. Amid the wide range of personalities and giftings within both genders, we can affirm the goodness of God’s creation, which includes us. You’ll notice this theme reoccurring in many of the articles.
We all have church friends, family members, neighbours, classmates, or coworkers who hold very different viewpoints on gender identity issues. My hope is that the perspectives shared in this issue can give you a bit more courage and confidence.
We will all fumble as we try to live holy lives and point others toward God too. The Church has certainly already made its share of mistakes when it comes to gender identity and sexuality. But if we stay humble and ask God for wisdom, we can trust the Lord will take our wobbly efforts and turn them into something good.
If you have thoughts on this issue, as always, we’d love to hear from you. You can find all the content in this issue here as it is released.
Grace and peace,
Ilana Reimer
Editor