Hey all, I’m back. Southern California was really good—better than I thought it would be, actually. I’ve traveled to many places in my work with the church, including places renowned for their hospitality. But I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a group that was as friendly and welcoming as the Presbyterian Women of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii. Within a day, everyone was greeting me by name as if I’d been part of the synod for the last twenty years.

The program itself also ranked among the better events I’ve seen. Four women from four different cultural backgrounds—African American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, and Anglo spoke about women’s theology from their particular viewpoint. Some of the differences between cultural experiences were illuminating. For instance, Unzu Lee pointed out the difficulties in a cohesive women’s theology movement in the Asian American community because of the wide variety of cultures and experiences represented by the term. As she pointed out, Asian Americans lack the unity of a common language, as Latina women have, or a collective historical experience like slavery. Thus “Asian American” theology reflects different cultures, but also strands of inclusiveness and a common focus on community.

Yet a point of similarity interested me. All the women of color alluded to body image issues related to not looking like the white majority. Of course, white women don’t have to try to look like white women. But in a similar way, so many white women are trying to live up to some impossible Cosmo ideal, only to fall far short. Why does the dominant culture create such a narrowly defined image of “normal,” one that not even members of its own group can possibly fit?

I actually read an article last night in The Atlantic Monthly (June 2005 issue) that alluded to weight loss. The article, actually a travel piece written by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, touches on recent media alarms sounded about an “obesity epidemic” in the United States. He says that though Americans are told that they’re getting fat at an alarming rate, the truth is that Europeans would exhibit about the same percentages of obesity if the same body mass index standards were used on them.

Levy observes that this “epidemic” of fatness really serves the interest of a new, burgeoning weight-loss industry:

“Even better, I understand that inventing obesity—that is to say, claiming first that being fat is a disease, second that this disease must be treated, and third that it will never, despite treatment, be completely cured—creates a type of dependence that is at least equal to that produced by the inventors of flavors, fragrances, and packaging that are designed to develop a loyal following among junk-food consumers.”

Now I’m not trying to say that we shouldn’t be leading healthier lifestyles. But perhaps it does go back to that whole issue of body image, perfection, and the dominant culture. We go to weight-loss places because we’re not happy with our natural shapes. Why aren’t we happy with our natural shapes? Who gains power over our bodies when we allow someone else to dictate how we should look?

And this dissatisfaction with who we are, with how God created us, affects all American women in unique ways. It’s just one more method of disempowerment, one more way to keep us from living fully into God’s call to create a new world.

“But strive first for the realm of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” --Matthew 6:33

Kelsey