Joseph And The Challenge Of Not Mansplaining

Joseph faced an impossible situation: his fiancée was pregnant, and he knew he wasn't the father. He had every cultural and religious right to publicly divorce Mary and protect his reputation. Instead, Joseph did something revolutionary—he chose to believe Mary's experience rather than explaining it away. He walked alongside rather than taking charge. He offered presence without trying to control the narrative. In a culture that often teaches men (and anyone with privilege) that their value comes from being the expert with all the answers, Joseph models a different way: the courage to listen, the wisdom to trust someone else's truth, and the strength to support rather than lead. His story challenges all of us to examine where we might need to practice the ministry of presence instead of the ministry of having all the answers.