I met someone recently. Actually, it's more of a reacquaintance. Her name is Dinah. She is a daughter of a prosperous man. The sister of many brothers. Dinah was beautiful and mild-mannered. She had been trained to obey her parents and help take care of the family home. Dinah went on a journey to visit some relatives and friends. While she was making her way their, a powerful man saw her. Because she was beautiful, he brought her somewhere and raped her. His lust for her overcomes his responsibility to honor her. Shechem, the rapist, knows that what he has done to Dinah is wrong. He tries to cover it up by getting his father to arrange a marriage between himself and Dinah.
Dinah's father is Jacob, he finds out what has happened to Dinah. But doesn't call in his sons to tell them. He let's them keep working. When everyone is back from the fields, all the men find out what has happened to Dinah. How Shechem wants to marry her. But Dinah's family is forbidden from marrying into Shechem's by a holy command. And why would Dinah want to marry Shechem anyways? He raped her. He violated her in the most horrific of ways.
As the story goes on, two of Dinah's brothers decide to take matters into their own hands. Levi and Simeon trick Shechem and his whole city to undergo circumcision. It is the cost Shechem agreed to in order to marry Dinah. But Dinah's brothers know that what has been done to Dinah can not be made right, that giving their sister to Shechem is wrong in every way. Levi and Simeon killed every man in Shechem's city. Then they get their sister back from his house and bring Dinah home. Levi and Simeon took everything out of the city. The livestock, the plunder, even all the women and children.
Jacob, their dad, finds out what Levi and Simeon have done. He is deeply distressed. But not at Shechem. He's upset his sons, Levi and Simeon, have made Jacob an enemy of this mighty nation. Jacob's never recorded as being upset over what happened to Dinah. He's only bothered at the mess that has been created. At Jacob's own reputation being tarnished. At having to now make amends for the revenge that Levi and Simeon took on Shechem's home town.
Where is Dinah in this? She never has a voice in her story. We only see the men in her life. They abuse their authority and position over her like Shechem. They are silent on her behalf, like Jacob her father, trying to keep things as peaceful as possible. They are righteously angry on her behalf, like Levi and Simeon. Razing a whole town of its men in payment for the defilement of their sister, Dinah. We never know what happened to Dinah. Or what she really wanted to happen in the face of her tragic story.
Reading this story in the book of Genesis, I have to ask myself. Who am I in this story? Am I Jacob? The parent who should be grieving but also has to maintain his position in the community? Managing the responsibility of his large family, flocks and relations with the locals? Am I Dinah, the innocent one who should have been able to make her visits without being attacked? The one who has no voice and is being forced to marry her rapist? To have to continue to interact with her attacker and his family? Am I Levi or Simeon? So filled with the righteous indignation that I allow the rage to lead me into even more heinous acts of violence in an attempt to avenge my sister's honor?
I would hope I'm someone not mentioned in the pages, but still a part of the story. I hope I'm the sister offering comfort and aid after the attack. I hope I'm the mother in the background soothing Dinah and leading her down the path of healing her body, mind and soul. I hope I'm the friend who listens and affirms her story and truth. I hope I'm the advocate that can say never again. How can we prevent this? What measures and accountability does our culture need to stop this atrocious sacrifice of our innocents at the altar of male ego and family pride?
Because Dinah's story is not a unique one. It is not a stand alone case. It is a story that happens a multitude of times daily. As enlightened as we believe our current world to be, we are still so much the same as our ancestors. Driven by our lust, pride, greed, anger, hurt and desires.
Who are you going to be?
Dinah's father is Jacob, he finds out what has happened to Dinah. But doesn't call in his sons to tell them. He let's them keep working. When everyone is back from the fields, all the men find out what has happened to Dinah. How Shechem wants to marry her. But Dinah's family is forbidden from marrying into Shechem's by a holy command. And why would Dinah want to marry Shechem anyways? He raped her. He violated her in the most horrific of ways.
As the story goes on, two of Dinah's brothers decide to take matters into their own hands. Levi and Simeon trick Shechem and his whole city to undergo circumcision. It is the cost Shechem agreed to in order to marry Dinah. But Dinah's brothers know that what has been done to Dinah can not be made right, that giving their sister to Shechem is wrong in every way. Levi and Simeon killed every man in Shechem's city. Then they get their sister back from his house and bring Dinah home. Levi and Simeon took everything out of the city. The livestock, the plunder, even all the women and children.
Jacob, their dad, finds out what Levi and Simeon have done. He is deeply distressed. But not at Shechem. He's upset his sons, Levi and Simeon, have made Jacob an enemy of this mighty nation. Jacob's never recorded as being upset over what happened to Dinah. He's only bothered at the mess that has been created. At Jacob's own reputation being tarnished. At having to now make amends for the revenge that Levi and Simeon took on Shechem's home town.
Where is Dinah in this? She never has a voice in her story. We only see the men in her life. They abuse their authority and position over her like Shechem. They are silent on her behalf, like Jacob her father, trying to keep things as peaceful as possible. They are righteously angry on her behalf, like Levi and Simeon. Razing a whole town of its men in payment for the defilement of their sister, Dinah. We never know what happened to Dinah. Or what she really wanted to happen in the face of her tragic story.
Reading this story in the book of Genesis, I have to ask myself. Who am I in this story? Am I Jacob? The parent who should be grieving but also has to maintain his position in the community? Managing the responsibility of his large family, flocks and relations with the locals? Am I Dinah, the innocent one who should have been able to make her visits without being attacked? The one who has no voice and is being forced to marry her rapist? To have to continue to interact with her attacker and his family? Am I Levi or Simeon? So filled with the righteous indignation that I allow the rage to lead me into even more heinous acts of violence in an attempt to avenge my sister's honor?
I would hope I'm someone not mentioned in the pages, but still a part of the story. I hope I'm the sister offering comfort and aid after the attack. I hope I'm the mother in the background soothing Dinah and leading her down the path of healing her body, mind and soul. I hope I'm the friend who listens and affirms her story and truth. I hope I'm the advocate that can say never again. How can we prevent this? What measures and accountability does our culture need to stop this atrocious sacrifice of our innocents at the altar of male ego and family pride?
Because Dinah's story is not a unique one. It is not a stand alone case. It is a story that happens a multitude of times daily. As enlightened as we believe our current world to be, we are still so much the same as our ancestors. Driven by our lust, pride, greed, anger, hurt and desires.
Who are you going to be?
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