Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Two women stand tall in ancient stories, challenging us to see beyond the confining labels we place on others. Rahab, known through centuries primarily as "the prostitute," was actually a savvy negotiator who rescued her entire family from destruction when Jericho fell. Yet while her profession gets endlessly mentioned, the Israelite men who visited her establishment face no similar judgment—a double standard that persists to this day.

Then there's Deborah, a fiery prophet and military strategist who led Israel to victory and provided forty years of peace—longer than nearly any other biblical leader. Despite her extraordinary leadership, later biblical accounts either minimize her role or erase her entirely, giving credit to her male general Barak instead. Even in Hebrews 11, the Bible's "hall of fame" of faithful people, Barak gets mentioned while Deborah disappears.

These ancient stories expose our troubling tendency to reduce complex human beings to convenient labels. Who are the Rahabs among us today that we reduce to a single aspect of their identity? Is it the immigrant labeled only as "illegal," the performer seen only through one lens, or the political opponent reduced to a stereotype? Jesus himself modeled a different way by including Rahab in his family tree, demonstrating his solidarity with those society had labeled and dismissed. As we follow his example, we're invited to see and celebrate the full humanity of everyone we encounter. After all, everyone has a story that matters—and they deserve to have that story told completely.

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