Morning Meditation: Inclusive Language for God

When Paul puts pen to parchment in Romans 16, the first name he writes is Phoebe. Not a footnote. Not an afterthought. He calls her diakonos — the same Greek word he uses for himself and for Apollos — and prostatis, a patron and protector of many, including Paul himself. In a world that often silenced women, Paul hands Phoebe the letter that would reshape Western theology and says, "She speaks for me."…