Look! We Do Care For Women! (A Poem)

Written from the perspective of “A Man” about women in ministry. Based on a true story.

We gave you a seat

You’re at the table

Now be grateful

Go fetch the stapler

You want to teach?

That’s adorable.

You can do it next time

When a man cancels

We’d love to invest in your training

But, with any luck

You’ll be married and pregnant soon

So we’d better conserve our resources

You’re teaching Sunday school? Me too.

While you’re making your copies,

Make the copies for my class

Because I don’t know how

Plan the whole event

Recruit all the volunteers

I’ll show up after all the work

Thanks for doing your job (and mine)

I’d love to support you before you teach

Let’s meet.

Your talk is so cute

Just like you

Take notes for this meeting

You’re not good at taking notes?

What do you mean?

You’re a woman

You want to teach?

That’s sweet.

Sure, you can do that

After all your other work is done

Sorry, we can’t give you the job

You don’t have the credentials

We gave it to a man

Who doesn’t have credentials

Sorry we can’t give you that job 

Yes, you have the experience

And the credentials

Why? Because we gave it to a man

We brought in a woman

So you’ll be more comfortable

You’re not comfortable?

But we brought in a woman

We consulted women for this policy

So it will reflect the views of women

What do you mean you don’t agree? 

We consulted women

Your gender is not a problem

We love women

You still feel demeaned?

It must be your gender

A woman is equal to a man

We respect women

You still feel placated?

Well, it must be your problem

We gave you a seat

You’re at the table

Now be grateful

And stop complaining