While talking about my ministerial journey with a beloved old friend, a wonderful discovery was made. We were discussing preaching and the pulpit. I was heavily focused on the sermon’s theme and the whole process that comes along with it. However, my friend stopped me mid-sentence to point out the significance of my presence in the pulpit. He said, “Femi, your body alone preaches!”

I had overlooked some important factors in the meaning-making process related to being a woman of African descent in the pulpit. Not only did my ethnicity challenge the norm, but so did my gender.

My friend quickly identified the powerful message my body preached in a pulpit that had never held a body like mine. In short, I was the first Black woman to preach in most of the pulpits I stood in. My friend and I celebrated this insight for a few heartbeats.

And, then we pondered all the ways in which our bodies preach. Sometimes simply showing up and being intentionally present conveys the richness of the gospel, moving others to seek God more deeply.

As a practitioner of public theology, my research focuses on ethics and the human body. I primarily study how women’s bodies act as storytellers and how their lived experiences shape their understandings of God.

I especially enjoy investigating women’s movements in the Biblical text. Many women in the Bible either say a few words or move in complete silence. However, those few words and the complete silence should not translate as a lack of impact and influence.

If we reflect on the phenomenon of movement in silence, we’ll notice that silence in motion can be effective. From the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1) to the women who stood at the empty tomb (Luke 24), Scripture shows us that women’s bodies often carry and tell powerful stories.

They embody testimonies of faith.

When Bodies Tell the Story

The women at the empty tomb did more than deliver a message. Their bodies told a story.

Before Peter believed, he watched their embodied faith in action. This simple exercise will help you notice something that is easy to miss when we read the passage quickly: how much of the story is communicated through movement, emotion, and response.

Grab a journal and a few colored pencils or markers. As you listen to Luke 24:1–12, pay attention to what the women do, say, think, and feel.

• With your favorite color, write the phrases that describe the women’s actions.
• Use another color to write down the phrases where the women speak.
• Use a third color to identify words that describe their feelings and thoughts.
• With a pencil, write down the apostles’ response to the women’s words.
• Finally, listen closely to Peter’s reaction and write down his actions.

We often think that a story’s power depends on its credibility and the speaker’s use of logic. Despite the eloquent accounts of the women, the apostles still didn’t get it. What makes this story powerful is how it moved others to act, specifically Peter.

The embodied belief of the women sparked Peter’s belief and he acted accordingly.

Jesus’ risen body is the gospel.

His rising ignited the women’s movements, which inspired Peter’s reaction.

Contemplate how you too embody the gospel.

Now, what are you going to do about it?

For deeper reflection, listen to Luke 24.

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