The Editor, Sir:
The appointment of our first female Prime Minister and her professed affinity for the Word of God brought to mind one of the most misunderstood and misapplied of Bible passages: "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives." [1Peter 3:1].
How can she be Prime Minister and still be the "submissive wife" - in subjection to her husband?
Well, a careful reading of the passage separately and together with some of the verses that follow makes it clear that the true meaning has nothing whatever to do with subjection and everything to do with family unity. In public, wives ought to appear to be subject to their husbands so as to avoid any sign of weakness in the family unit being sent to outsiders.
In private, it is very much the wives whose responsibility it is to take charge and convince their husbands to do the right thing. If a wife should ever appear to contradict her husband's will in public, whether by word or action, then she will have damaged her moral authority to show him the way in private.
Conversation
Once the husband who, as a member of the male gender, is inherently of the more vulnerable ego, is confident that he will be the public captain of the family ship, the wife will be empowered thereby to be the real captain.
So, whether or not she succeeds in convincing him of the righteousness of any particular path, her meek public subjection to the path chosen by him after 'conversation', will ensure that, next time, he will listen and learn. "While they [the husbands] behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." [1Peter 3:2].
In fact, contrary to the popular opinion pushed mainly by male pastors, Peter is charging the wives to lead by example.
And so it is clear that our Prime Minister is, indeed, She Who Must Be Obeyed, both at home and in public life, although, as a member of the mentally stronger sex, she has to be careful not to publicly bruise her husband's ego.
Once this fundamental family principle is applied, every other perceived problem which may have been the subject of a private 'conversation' will disappear in its wake.
This is a seminal family principle that, if heeded by Santino 'Sonny' Corleone, would have spared his family much grief.
I am, etc.,
GORDON ROBINSON
robinson@cwjamaica.com
69 Lady Musgrave Road
Kingston 10
Via Go-Jamaica
