Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled? 
-1 Corinthians 11:13

Did you see the stories this week?

A couple posts went viral, suggesting big changes in the country of Iran. They announced that the government had finally abolished the law that required women to wear head coverings, the hijab.

Alas, the stories weren’t true. A government official had said something that was misinterpreted. He may have been expressing a progressive opinion, but within hours, he was pressured to take his words back.

So I was bummed. The story seemed like something positive to someone like me who really needed some good news.

Here’s a little background on the hijab. The word means “barrier” and originally referred to a physical barrier preventing Mohammad’s visitors from laying eyes on his wives.

Over time, a few passages from the Quran have been understood as a commandment for women to hide any adornment that might lure other men to lust after them. Today, hijab means different things to different women — for some, it’s identity and faith; for others, restriction.

In Iran and Afghanistan, stepping outside without a scarf can be punishable by imprisonment, beating, or even death. Other Islamic countries have different levels of enforcement, and still others make the practice voluntary.

Most Islamic scholars have a strict, literal interpretation of these verses, while a steadily growing group interprets Mohammad’s words based on their historical context and original meaning.

Sound familiar? It should. Christians have the debate about scripture all the time. For instance, take a look at today’s passage from 1 Corinthians.

In this letter Paul says that women should practice modesty when they worship, particularly by wearing a head covering. But what does he mean at the beginning when he says “Judge for yourselves”?

Some think Paul is saying this rule is patently obvious, and others thinks he’s leaving it up to the reader to judge.

I’m not going to wade into that debate about a religion I’m still trying to understand, but you can guess where I would land. I was raised to believe that women aren’t property to be dressed by their husbands, but people have similarly used the Bible to proclaim otherwise.

I know Muslim women who choose to wear a hijab, just as I know Mennonite women who choose to wear a bonnet. Both are statements about humility, reverence, and, yes, modesty. To me, those are authentic expressions of faithfulness.

But I can’t help but think that a bunch of men using scripture to tell a woman what she can and can’t wear

is missing out on

the real story.

Have a great week

Mitch