#john hearn

Gary Cole Appreciation Post!

John Hearn has joined Wolff Olins as Global Principal in our New York office where he'll be helping our clients achieve far-reaching growth. 

by John Hearn

If there's one thing that I've learned after traveling the world for 11 months is that men are better than women. Men are faster, stronger, sharper, smarter, and more educated than our female counterparts. We outperform, outwit, outlast, and outpreach the female gender in catastrophic proportions. I'm sure this can be traced to Adam and Eve. There's a reason why God made man first…so that we would be used to the position of women being second.

The second thing I've learned on the World Race is that the above is all a LIE. It's sad, but the statements above have all in fact been preached to me while living in foreign countries - whether verbally or nonverbally.

Women should be seen and not heard.

Never look a man in the eyes.

Women don't preach or teach - they clean the churches and make dinner.

There's a pandemic sweeping the globe that keeps women bound by ungodly “truths”. They're told what they should wear, where they should sit, how they should look, when they should speak, and who they should be. Women are held captive by the arrogance of the world and silenced by the insecurities of man. The ways I've seen women treated all over the world have been unforgettable... I've met girls as young as 12 years old who have been sold into sex slavery for a house, car, money, and even a television.

Some women haven't been able to stand as tall as I am or even look me in the eye. If I crouch down, she has to crouch lower. If I sit down to eat, she has to literally crawl to the table to serve me. At some meals, I've had to eat while the women watched me because they had to eat last after serving the men. I've witnessed women and young girls auctioned off to the highest bidder and even sold through a lottery. I've seen drunken men grope women, emotionally abuse them, and rent them for days at a time. Women in India known as the “burning brides” are doused in kerosene and lit on fire by their husbands and in-laws because her dowry wasn't enough - because SHE wasn't enough. If they don't die immediately then they are left with horrifying scars and physical handicaps. Women are abandoned by their husbands after giving birth to their children and left with no money and no food. Women are beaten, abused, spat on, and tortured. Recently on the news, I saw where a young Pakistani woman had her nose cut off by her husband with a dull kitchen knife because he discovered she was educating herself without his permission.

Men, why do we allow these injustices in the world?!?

No country, no race, and no religion is exempt from these horrific trends. Even women in America are crippled by a faulty belief system where men are superior. Women all over the world are mentally enslaved by a belief system that has ravaged and dominated our culture. These women are your daughters, your sisters, your mothers….or maybe even you.

So what do I tell a 17 year old girl whose parents have sold her for $20 and a television? I tell her the TRUTH….

You are WORTHY. You are LOVED. You are BEAUTIFUL. You are HOLY. You are FORGIVEN. You are VALUED. You are CAPABLE. You are EQUIPPED. You are CHOSEN. When the world tells women who they should be then we need to remind them who God says they ARE!

Jesus decorated the Bible with multiple examples of the REAL value of women…

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Luke 8:1-3

Here we see that Jesus changed the role of women from child-bearing stay at homes to disciple makers! Women were invited into ministry WITH Jesus! Can you imagine! They gave up their own livelihoods, died to self, and followed and provided for our savior all because they were worthy.

The woman at the well. “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah' (called Christ) ‘ is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” John 4:25-26

This is the first time Jesus declares and admits that he is in fact the Messiah and he entrusted that information to a woman. Not a man, a king, a guard, or a disciple - but to a WOMAN.

The news of the resurrection. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means teacher) Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them. ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:16-18

Our entire faith is based of the news of the resurrection. If it wasn't for Jesus being raised from the dead then our whole belief system would be wiped clean. So what does Jesus do with this absolute VITAL piece of information? He entrusted it to a woman. Jesus didn't first appear to his disciples who had been in his inner circle but rather to Mary, a woman. Not only did he give it to her, but he told her to GO and tell the men the good news!

Your Christian faith can be accredited to a woman who said “Yes!” to Jesus. Women are not only included in the story of Jesus, they ARE the story of Jesus! So on behalf of every man in the world I would like to say sorry...

I'm sorry for thinking I was better. I'm sorry for telling you you weren't good enough. I'm sorry for not fighting for you. I'm sorry for not trusting you. I'm sorry for not speaking to you out of love. I'm sorry for placing unrealistic expectations on you. I'm sorry for telling you that you have to look a certain way. I'm sorry for not showing you how a godly man treats a woman. I'm sorry for the abuse you have been through. I'm sorry that you have been taken advantage of. I'm sorry that you haven't been treated like the queen that you are. I'm sorry for not pointing you to the Father.

So MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, SISTERS! Hold your head HIGH. Stand TALL. Walk BOLDLY. When the world tells you to be quiet, remind them that Jesus told you to SPEAK! When the world tells you to stay, remind them that Jesus said FOLLOW! When the world tells you to sit down, remind them that Jesus said GO! When the world tells you that you have no value, remind them that Jesus paid for you with his LIFE! So what are you waiting for....