They tell me of how the church and its mission are empowered where women's voices are heard. They remind me that the Kingdom of God is a place where what is important about our worship is that it is in spirit and in truth. It a vocation that springs from seeking first God's Kingdom. The Galatians reading reminds us of the equality of all in Christ. It tells us that the Kingdom of God is a place that transcend the prejudices that divide human society.
Religion is a powerful thing.
It can help toobscure our view of those who are not like us and make them seem less human, or it can enable us to see the value of each person no matter how different they are from us. In its history Christianity has had both effects in different places at different times. Sometimes sanctioning the oppression of outsiders and at others working for justice and freedom. What we see in Christ's ministry however is that he constantly sees the person and not just the category, be it leper, Samaritan, gentile or woman. In particular we need to challenge the church where it fails to recognise the value and dignity of women.