Jason takes the passage of Mark 10:35-45, in which Jesus calls his disciples to divest themselves of power in order to serve, and weaves it together with stories of Judy Chicago and Sojourner Truth.

Judy Chicago had been told in a UCLA class on the Intellectual History of Europe that there were no contributions to western thought by women. A decade later she responded with a massive piece of installation art honoring women’s contributions to history in the shape of “The Dinner Party.”

One of the table settings at the Dinner Party was for Sojourner Truth, escaped Northern slave, abolitionist, women’s rights suffragist, and preacher. And some of the names at the seat of her table were Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Zora Neal Hurston, among others. Judy Chicago’s piece not only honored the service of 999 women, but was created by a collaboration of researchers, potters, and knitters together with Judy’s painting.

Judy changed her name to reflect a move away from patriarchy. Sojourner Truth asked God for a name in order to leave her slave name behind, and was given a name that spoke of her travels to serve others with the truth of the gospel. Jesus continues to turn the tables on culture, and to call for the divestment of power and dominance in order that his followers might serve.

Hear much more in Jason’s words in the audio below.