This post is adapted from Recovering Covering: Scripture, Conscience, and the Beauty of Biblical Head Covering.

What Nature Teaches Us

“Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?”
—1 Corinthians 11:14–15 (ESV)

What does Paul mean when he says that “nature itself” teaches us?

Natural revelation is what God makes known through creation. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), and His attributes can be perceived in what He has made (Romans 1:20). Creation speaks to everyone, although sin distorts our understanding and inclines us to suppress what it reveals.

Paul points to nature and expects us to recognize something about men, women, and hair: long hair is a woman’s glory, while long hair on a man is a shame.

Notice that Paul does not say a woman with short hair is disgraced. Some women cannot grow long hair because of alopecia, cancer treatment, age, or other circumstances. Their womanhood and dignity do not depend upon their hair.

Sometimes, however, a woman may deliberately reject traditionally feminine hair as a response to exploitation, painful expectations, or abuse. A hairstyle can become a shield—an attempt to avoid unwanted attention or escape what femininity has come to represent. Recognizing this calls for compassion without requiring us to deny the created distinction to which Paul points.

Natural revelation shows that men and women are different, but it cannot fully explain how Christians should live. For that, we need special revelation: God’s written Word.

Scripture tells us that a woman’s long hair is her glory and that it was given to her as a natural covering. Paul uses the Greek word peribolaion, referring to something that wraps or is thrown around. Her hair reflects a covering principle already woven into creation.

Nature still testifies, but nature alone is not enough. We need Scripture to interpret creation rightly—and redeemed hearts that delight in the Creator’s design.

When cultural trends blur God’s created distinctions, how can I remain faithful to Scripture while showing compassion toward people whose choices may have been shaped by deep pain?

For a fuller treatment of nature, hair, and head covering, read Recovering Covering, available in paperback, on Kindle, and through Kindle Unlimited.