We offer special bittersweet prayers for recognition of the accomplishments of women. Although most of the belatedly-honored recipients have died, this week the United States gave gold medal recognition to the women who flew for the U.S. as WASPs, whose deaths were unhonored and whose burials were at their friends' expense in World War II. In Liberia the inclusion of female peacekeepers in United Nations teams is leading to a changed tone and better outcomes.

We pray with awe for the "young divorcees." This is not a slick Hollywood stereotype, but all the child brides most famously represented by Nujood Ali of Yemen, who escaped her brutal marriage at the age of 8 (since a married woman could not attend school, she had to drop out of the second grade) and miraculously secured her divorce by age 10.

We know that when the Gospel of Matthew was written, five women were named in Jesus' lineage. In one way or another all five were scandalous. Yet each contributed to the incarnational faith of Christians. Issues they faced as sex workers and refugees are still with us. We pray for ourselves that we may not withhold our concern from either whole classes of people, such as women, or from individuals. We pray that we learn to honor the contributions that scandalous people offer us.

Returning to the words of the hymn, we pray we may be able to live ever
aware that
     "...the love of God is broader
    Than the measure of our mind;
    And the heart of the Eternal
    Is most wonderfully kind."