Head Coverings

Early morning. I was ready to make the sixty-minute trip to the dermatologist to have the small basal cell tumor removed from my scalp. It wasn’t quite time to leave, so I browsed through a Christian magazine looking for words to distract me. I scanned an article with tips about home organization.

One tip in particular grabbed my attention:

“Keep multiple hair dryers in the house.”

How in the world could this help us lead orderly lives?

The author went on to write, “The Bible says a woman’s hair is her glory. It is terrible to have the hair dryer die when we are not quite ‘glorified.’”

Really? Seemed a silly concern.

Of greater concern was the hair I’d lose from the upcoming excision and stitching. And would hair regrow through scar tissue? Probably not. I confess to hair vanity.

Is a woman’s hair her glory?

The tip did give me something else to ponder on the drive down, however. Long aware of hair being referred to as a woman’s glory, I didn’t know what the phrase really meant. I knew beauty companies used the claim to sell expensive hair products and that a Bible verse referenced it.

While my sweetie drove the car, I opened a Bible app on my phone to find the verse.

Does not common sense teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her long hair is given to her as a covering. 

(1 Corinthians 11: 14-15 AMP)

This passage is part of Paul’s reprimand concerning an inappropriate practice by some women in the Corinthian church. Specific cultural standards of the time have changed, but when Paul confronted this issue, women were expected to grow long hair and to wear head coverings when praying.

Here, Paul attempts to correct the misinterpretation that long hair is a substitute for an additional head covering. He argues that the association of longer hair with femininity supports the idea that a covering should be worn.

I learned something new, and my anxiety had subsided. Gratified, I closed the app. Then the nurse called my name.

After a shot of anesthesia did its work, the doctor began his. The MOHS surgery took about fifteen minutes. When I commented on the speed, the doctor cheekily replied, “I cut circles for a living.”

The tissue was then examined under a microscope—a 45-minute process—to make sure the margins were clear. They were! The kind nurse, Kaley, prepped me for the next step: an incision that extended across the “circle” so the skin could properly meet and heal.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, went Kaley’s razor.

“I’m really not shaving off that much hair,” she told me.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Then the doctor and his PA were back. I felt no pain, but the tugging and pulling of the scalp so they had enough skin to form an “earthworm” which would ultimately keep the scar tissue from sinking inward was not pleasant. And neither was the slow sawing sound of the three layers of stitches going in and out.

But medical procedures are rarely pleasant, and the outcome was a best-case scenario. Additional cuttings were not required, the incision is healing, and a comb-over disguises it.

Is a Woman's Hair Her Glory? #Bible Share on X

Wear a hat.

I learned something else. When outside, I faithfully apply sunscreen to my skin, but I don’t wear a hat. Like the women of Corinth, I thought my hair was an adequate substitute for a head covering. It is not. The cancer growth on my scalp resulted from sun exposure, so additional shield is needed. As we approach spring and summer, I’m going to remember that.

How dedicated are you to wearing a hat when outdoors? What type do you wear?

Wishing you spring joy and good health!

Immerse yourself in His love,

Candyce

https://www.bibleref.com/1-Corinthians/11/1-Corinthians-11-15.html#commentary

Ibid