Why Sidekicks Should Grab a Cape

Cape by Sew Plain Jane

I would rather be a sidekick than hero any day. It's much easier to follow someone hacking their way through the jungle than it is to pick up the scythe. But sometimes that's a cop-out so I don't have to be the one in battle. Sometimes it's because I'm afraid. Other times it's because people tell me I can't do it and I choose to believe them.

The church is one of those places where we've established a difference between heroes and sidekicks. Women are often treated as sidekicks; allowed to come behind, but not to wear the cape. It's sad because I don't believe Jesus lived like this. He was a revolutionary in his time, pulling women alongside him, letting them sit at his feet while he taught. He didn't shy away from having them take part when that was unheard of. And yet, because of a few scriptures {often taken out of context or misinterpreted}, women sit on the sidelines.

I'm not saying that everyone has to be served and play the star. Of course we should all support each other and there will be times we choose to be the sidekicks or the support for others. What I'm talking about is the constant limit on women to be able to lead out in this journey. It should not stay one-sided, it should be a team effort.

I think there is so much our world is missing out on because of these boundaries. And the church grieves me because we should be the ones leading out and showing that we're all equal under the law of love. But instead, we continue the patterns that have existed for years, holding back a group of people who could, quite possibly, change the world.

Women across the globe are being abused because their culture operates with these thoughts, and I can't help but believe we perpetuate it. What if we start a revolution to show that we link arms together, men and women, in our capes? We can all step forward in love and truth. No one should be devalued, no one should be considered "lesser than". We can begin with ourselves and our friends, one by one, person by person.

It's time to don your cape.