It’s ludicrous. Last week, in the third or so Zoom / Teams call for publishers, the host went around the virtual room asking people to introduce themselves.
First up, the host said, “I am so-and-so, a middle age white male wearing a dark brown suit and my pronouns are he and him.”
Next, the assistant host said, “I am so-and-so, a thirty something African American woman wearing a blue dress and my pronouns are she and her.”
For some reason - maybe because I was early and as a publisher of paperback and ebooks, was looking forward to learning something - I got to go fourth in the lineup.
I said, “I am Jay Inman and I’m a Smartass.”
Lots of laughter and consternation - one guy even yelled, “That’s the best introduction all day!”
As the introductions returned to mediocrity and pronoun problems, I exited the Zoom call, and went back to working on my “Old Testament in 8 Hours” class for the fall. That brings me to a man with pronoun problems in Genesis.
The first time he was asked, the man said, “I am Esau. Feel my hairy arms.” Isaac gave him a blessing.
Next, he woke up, hung over after his wedding night and said, “I am the husband of Rachel…” but Leah, Rachel’s older sister, was in bed with him. The dude was too drunk to know his father-in-law tricked him.
Next time, Esau on the horizon in front, his angry father-in-law behind him, God asked, “What’s your name?”
He finally got it right - “I am Jacob.”
I think I read a divine chuckle between the lines as God said, “Nope. You are Israel.” That means ‘wrestles with God’. He did that all night for a blessing until God broke Jacob’s hip. Gave him a limp. All good leaders know their pronouns and walk with a limp.
Jan and I are ‘limping’ to NY this weekend to be part of Eric Metaxas’ TV show audience - not a big deal but we love Eric and look forward to supporting him. The reason we are limping is that we desperately want to see our daughter, grandson, and son-in-law. It’s been two long years. We disagree on politics, vaccinations, masks, and all the rest, but hope - with a limp - that grace abounds.
I will try very hard to NOT be the pronoun I accurately used to identify myself on the Zoom Call.
Jay