The theater is crowded with teenagers on dates, the kind who will walk out later with popcorn bits stuck in their braces. A few children run giddy circles in the lobby under the watchful eyes of parents. My friends and I observe from a line that winds like a snake down one wall. We remark that we haven’t been to a popular movie on opening night for years. We feel a bit cool, we confess. We snap a selfie.
We are waiting to see Wonder Woman, originally the creation of William Moulton Marston, an American psychologist. He brought her to life on the pages of comic books in the early 1940s, a time when comics were dominated by male characters. Marston saw potential for a superhero who overcame not by brute force alone but by love. “Fine,” Marston’s wife Elizabeth said, “But make her a woman.”
As I watch the movie I think of these words from my upcoming book Fiercehearted:
Sharon Jaynes says, “The Hebrew word ‘helper’ that is used for woman is ezer. It is derived from the Hebrew word used of God and the Holy Spirit, ‘azar.’ Both mean “helper”— one who comes alongside to aid or assist. King David wrote, ‘O LORD, be my helper’ (Ps. 30:10 NASB). . . .
Ezer appears twenty-one times in the Old Testament. Two times it is used of the woman in Genesis 27, sixteen times it is used of God or Yahweh as the helper of His people. The remaining three references appear in the books of the prophets, who use it in reference to military aid.”
When we leave the theater the evening has faded to darkness. I think of how we, as women, are still so much of the light and strength and beauty in this world. We were never an afterthought; we have been an essential, powerful part of the plan all along. We are an echo of God’s heart and a display of His glory.
We are wonders. We are fiercehearted women. We are stronger than we know.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
– If you like this post, you’ll love Fiercehearted.
– The You’re Already Amazing Summer Study starts tomorrow! You can still join in. Get all the details here.
– If you need a little bit of hope for the season you’re in, you’ll love this free 5-day audio series from Kristen Strong.
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