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The webinar was co-organized by the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches in India.
Rev. Nicole Ashwood, WCC programme executive for a Just Community of Women and Men, opened the meeting by noting that menstruation is understood by God. “For many people, this is probably a conversation that you think is not necessary,” she said—then went on to explain why it is, indeed, highly necessary and relevant in the world today.
Rev. Dr. Asir Ebenezer, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, brought greetings and prayers for the work already done on the topic as well as the work to come.
Rev. Rebecca Daniel, head of Chaplaincy and Development for the Council of Lutheran Churches in Great Britain, introduced the scripture at the heart of the conversation: the story of a woman who bled for 12 years.
“As someone who had internalized the shame and stigma that society had imposed on her, her first reaction is to approach Jesus in secret,” said Daniel. “Second, her courage teaches us about woman’s capacity for faithful decision making. No one brings her to Jesus or speaks for her.”
Rev. Priscilla Rawade, executive secretary for the Gender and Social Justice Desk at the Student Christian Movement of India, reflected on the world of Leviticus. “The people had lost their land and many were being taken into exile,” she said, commenting on the context in which we find the laws regarding bodily discharges.
“The ancient Israelites saw sexuality, reproduction, pregnancy, childbirth, blood as something that was very mysterious and very powerful,” Rawade said. “Also, when something unusual happened, as prolonged bleeding, it create a kind of uncertainty and anxiety in the people, and people did not fully understand these conditions medically so the purity laws gave them clear instructions about what to do.”
Rev. Dr Jessie Ini Fubara-Manuel, a gender justice and disability advocate, researcher, and author, returned to the passage in which the woman encounters Jesus. “We know the identity of Jesus,” she said. “We don’t know the identity of the woman. She’s defined as the fighting woman.”
Rev. Tabita Christiani, who teaches Christian Education and Theology of Disability at Duta Wacana Christian University, noted that 12 years is a long time to bleed, and that it mirrors the feelings and condition that many women with disabilities face.
“The churches treat women with disabilities as charity rather than as contributing members of the body of the church of Christ,” she said.
Rev. Nishad Issac Chandy, who is pursuing his doctoral research in queer missiology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, spoke on how the story of the woman calls men to challenge their own interpretations.
Theologian and artist Jess Hall offered a liturgy in which blood traces the profound love God has for the world.
“This cup echoes another: your humble stage in Bethlehem, the young woman bleeding,” said Hall. “Over and over, I am being made new.”
Rev. Jyoti Singh, executive secretary of Women Concerns for the National Council of Churches in India, closed the webinar by expressing deep appreciation.
“After everyone speaking, I am at a loss for words because whatever I say will not be adequate enough to express how thankful we are,” she said.
