God often uses DNA teachings–whether written or verbal–to expose lies prevalent in every culture and to replace them with his freeing truth.
Naomi Smith from Kansas, USA recently found freedom in the biblical truth that, while males and females are equally valuable as created reflections of God himself, the two sexes usually demonstrate distinct gifts. DNA co-founder Darrow Miller argues that women naturally are more nurturing–a gift that, when used properly, directly contributes to the flourishing of societies.
“When I read the book [Nurturing the Nations], I was kind of upset at it,” says Naomi. “I was offended about some of the ‘boxes’ I felt Darrow put women in, particularly emphasizing the archetypal feminine as distinctive from the archetypal masculine. I was offended because, on some level, my family growing up had bought the lie that men and women are equal and there are no distinctions.
“Then I had our son! Judah brought me down to earth in September 2014. Being the only one who could care for him on the most basic level really brought a reality check for me. Wow! There really ARE very clear distinctions between men and women! For me, at the time, this was truly a revelation.”
In the fall of 2015, Darrow went to speak at an annual Strategic Life Training Intensive conference hosted by Naomi’s church. The goal of this conference was to equip people with a biblical view of social justice and inspire them to make a difference in the world around them. About 125 people attended the conference–mostly college-aged students and young professionals. Darrow spoke on the role of the Church in God’s grand story, how to engage culture through the lens of a biblical worldview, and the unique role of women in building healthy societies.
“This time around, it hit me square between the eyes,” Naomi says. “The feminine has been essentially erased from much of the culture because of the drive for women to become like men. There has been a real lack of value for the qualities that women add to a culture. More specifically, there’s been a lack of value for the feminine in many areas of our society. I started to see more of the value in the softer qualities God had given to me. I started to value my nurturing abilities more.”
Naomi promptly signed up for Coram Deo, the DNA’s free online course, at a time when her son was just one year old and she was feeling the daily grind of parenthood.
“I was committed to caring for Judah but was feeling very disillusioned,” she says. “I committed my life to Christ with the understanding that He had something important for me to do. And then I found myself in the grind of motherhood, poop, sleeplessness, laundry, repeat. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t the BIG thing I thought I would do with my life.
“The emphasis on sacrificial giving in the Coram Deo material really helped me see the beauty in being a mother. I realized that I’d never actually sacrificed for anyone so much in my entire life. I was actually learning the way of the cross. I was learning the way of love. And the material in Coram Deo helped clarify for me that this way of love is the only thing that ever has actually made a change in the world.
“Darrow’s teaching could not have come at a better time. I think had I not really had a clarity about these truths, a lot of my son’s younger years would have felt burdensome and like a necessary chore. Instead, I think the nurture in me is coming out little by little with the help of the Holy spirit!”
Read more of Naomi’s reflection on motherhood at the Darrow Miller and Friends blog.
