It’s the end of Women’s history month and I have been greatly blessed. Candidly, this is the first year that I have proactively celebrated and it has been a joy. I have seen many unique intersections and I’d like to share them and encourage you to keep celebrating and connecting beyond March.

As I heard and shared stories of women across cultures making great contributions to their communities and to the world, I want to become a more effective leader and collaborator.

One story was about a woman who born as Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867, on a Louisiana plantation. This daughter of former slaves transformed herself from an uneducated farm laborer and laundress into the first Black woman millionaire in this country.

Known as Madam C. J. Walker, she was orphaned at age 7, married at age 14, and widowed at age 20. Laboring as a washerwoman for almost twenty years for $1.50 per week, she discovered a much-needed product – a hair care formula that would change her life and the lives of many others.

Part of Sarah’s transformation happened as she was mentored in St Louis, MO by the Women’s Mite Society of St. Paul AME Church. (Mite stands for the widow who gave all in the Bible, Mark 12:41-44.)  Friendships with these and other members of St. Paul A.M.E. Church along with members of the National Association of Colored Women exposed her to a new way of viewing the world.

The above illustrates that the celebration of women doing great things and coming together is not only a global social concept, but it is a “Kingdom” concept. God greatly blessed Madam CJ Walker through relationships with women.

Ironically, as the Easter season is nearing, women’s history is woven into the Resurrection account.

Here is some of the backstory… There was a group of smart, resourceful influential and now healthy, women who were part of Jesus’ ministry team. They get a shout-out in Luke 8:1-3 (NET)

Some time afterward he {Jesus} went on through towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Cuza (Herod’s household manager), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their own resources.

These same women are people He blessed and they blessed and served with Him in Return. They were devoted until the very end. In today’s vernacular they might be considered “ride or die.” And though this phrase is very descriptive, I have to say upfront that I really dislike it. But I will come back to that.

This core-group of women, unlike some of His male disciples, remained at the cross through the heartbreaking moments of His death.

Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, {who oversaw the execution} who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

“There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.” It seems that they are united by their love for Jesus and for one another. Mark 15:33, 37-39, 40-41 NET

Not only do they remain connected to Him, they remain connected to one another and plan to offer a final act of service, which is to prepare His body for a proper burial.

Because of the strong customs of their day, this process is interrupted by the mandatory rest of “Holy Days.” But before the interruption comes they follow another believer in Christ is see where the body is taken.

Mark 16:1-11 (NET) describes what happened next.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

{Don’t you love how practical they are?}

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. Then as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

The gospel of John completes the story with these verses…John 20:11-18 (NET)

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni” (which means Teacher). 20:17 Jesus replied, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her.

Because of her faithfulness, Mary of Magdala, was given a great privilege of being the first person to see Jesus after He had come back to life. She was also one of the first to get to share the story of that good news with her friends; the sisters and the brothers. What an honor!

But let’s go back to this phrase “ride or die.” My 15-year old daughter is a great blessing in my life. We do lots of things together. Once while I was driving her to school, she asked if I was her ride or die. I told her in a way I was, but then I asked why do we have to have death as an option. We are going to live. We would be each other’s Ride & Live. The ladies above are definitely Ride & Live!

As I close this out, here are the intersections that I see:

• So many of the women I learned about in March 2021, were making their contributions out of great need and great love. This fueled them to do amazing things. Just like Mary Mag, Joanna, Salome, Mary the mother of Jose, etc. So let your great need and great love lead you to do likewise.
• Just like modern day women, these great women found a way to be supporters of one-another. They taught, helped, championed for each other. Young and Old. Free and Bond. Poor and Rich. Healthy and not Healthy. And Across Cultures. Let’s be like that.
• Make sure that you thank and celebrate the people who are your Ride & Lives (Koah, Gerri, Tanya, ReShay, Mom Wanda, my nieces, the Bible Study Ladies, my cousins, etc, etc, etc.)
• If you don’t have a community of women who are secure enough in themselves and Christ, to be able to have affirming relationships, please pray and begin to build one.
• Lastly, never forget that Jesus is your for real, Ride & Live. He died so He could be that for you.