My God My Mother?

[Amie]

We can know that God is given the title "Father" - and I have my theory as to why but I'm up too late to go there. We can know that Jesus was male and "son".

My husband often relates to God father to father. He just can't imagine a father this, or imagines that a father would that.. I love listening to him.

I've heard some talk of the "divine feminine" and we've even talked a little about it around here. For me, it still seemed somewhat removed from anything that I could relate to.

We could drop the "father" and argue that God is genderless and sexless. I'm just not comfortable with that. Not just because of the whole weirdness that I feel considering it because of my upbringing, but because I don't want to take away something that men (my hubby even) could relate to about God.

Also, I relate to God as a Dad, and how I see that playing out. There truly are things about Dads that I think are different than Moms -- whether real or perceived.

God related to humanity as a Mom. Here's an example:

Luk 13:34 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The one killing the prophets, and stoning those having been sent to her, how often I desired to gather your children in the way a hen gathers her brood under the wings, and you did not desire it.

Why does a Mother hen gather her chicks? I love my children close to me because my heart feels close to bursting with love for them and I want to share that with them. I am comforted knowing that they are protected in my care (to the best of my ability - but if I were God..).

I'm interested in taking some Scripture, I don't have a plan as to which so if you have an idea let's do it (!), and considering God as a Mother.

I'm wondering what insights we might have about God in relating as a different gender.

How do men and boys relate to a Mom.. and how women and girls do.. might be interesting to explore?

Amie

[Amie]

Wait! I have an idea.. how 'bout the idea of "wrath"? How would you see relating to God as male/father? What about female/mother?

[Amie]

Well this might sound strange, but I can't imagine wrath when it comes to my children. By the overwhelming response, maybe it's safe to assume that is hard to imagine for other folks.

How about "a mother's love"?

[christyG]

I'm interested in taking some Scripture, I don't have a plan as to which so if you have an idea let's do it (!), and considering God as a Mother.

Here's some stuff:

Psalms 90:2 "Before the Mountains were born or you brought forth (birthed) the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

Deut. 32:18 "You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth." Two sources say that this is more acurately translated as "writhing in labor".

Isaiah 66: 7-13... "before she goes into labor", "nursing at her breast"...

I have also brought this up before, but have also read in a few different places that the Hebrew root word for compassion in "womb". Thus God is mothering in the extension of compassion.


I'm wondering what insights we might have about God in relating as a different gender.

How do men and boys relate to a Mom.. and how women and girls do.. might be interesting to explore?

My belief is that God is genderless, transcends gender. It seems that maybe picturing a God that has equal male and female qualities might be best. I can see that men can relate to the maleness of a totally male God, but I am not sure that females can. I have two young daughters and wonder what it does to them when the male is raised up as the ideal? In all honesty, I wonder what that does to my son as well? I came across this quote often while reading on this subject, "when God is male, then male is God."

I feel that by being more conscious of the possible implications that a totally male God could have on society, on the conscious forming minds of youth, that we can cause a shift. The slow, and gradual movement from male dominated society and ideals to a society more rooted in compassion, in the womb.

Christy

PS. I had dust on my Bible:o Very cliche, I know, but it is true. Kinda nice to dig it out and realize I can flip though it almost as stealthily as I use to.;)

[Amie]

Christy,

How did I miss this post for ummm... almost a month? I think that it's some magical gift of mine, lol!

I love your posts. I think that maybe our finally including a feminine relation to God will help to actually remove the mental idea of gender from God.

When I consider a mother's compassion, I do not picture someone who is ready to throw her child out of her heart for messing up. People broke their promises to their "mother", and so felt unable to come to her. Could you imagine how that would feel as a mom? What if your child promised for their whole little childhood that they were going to grow up and be a movie star and buy you a manson and a fancy car (hey, some do, lol) and doing that became the central focus of their lives? Then, when they grew up they stunk at acting and were unable to fulfill that promise. They become withdrawn and ashamed of themselves. They fear being authentic with you about it.

Wouldn't you be moved to compassion to let them know that they never had to live up to anything to begin with? That you loved them and gained from them without the fancy car and mansion?

This child that you birthed, would be your main concern and focus. You would want nothing more than peace for them, and their ability to thrive.

Now I'm revisiting the idea of wrath and seeing it clearly. I think that there is a reason "mother bear" is used symbolically for a protective mother. If something stood between me and loving for my children, there would be hell to pay. In the bible story, it was a false perception standing in between God and God's children. I think that was put on a stage for all to see and then ripped down in front of us.

Now when the preachers preach, the teachers teach, etc, the reality is that it's all hot air. If I don't become a Baptist, no boils plague my body. If I don't choose to be a Pentacostal, I am not struck by lightening. The truth has made us free, and how empowering it is in my mind to imagine, "We've got mom to thank for that."

Amie

[Paige]

Along these lines there is a passage in Malachi where God casts Himself in the role of wife. Mal. 2:10-15.

When I read this, I see God's empathy with women's experiences and emotions due to unfaithfulness. This is more about the husband/wife relationship than the parent/child. I still find it an interesting passage.

Paige

[Amie]

Paige,

I feel like I'm missing what you're seeing, and I want to see what you're seeing. Would you explain a bit more how you see God as subjectively stepping into the role of wife? Or is that what you are seeing?

Amie

[Paige]

Looking specifically at vs. 11, "For Judah has profaned the Lord's Holy institution which He loves. He (Judah) has married the daughter of a foreign god..." moving on to vs. 14, " Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant."

Maybe I have misread this, but it seems to me that God cast Himself in the role of Judah's wife (from his youth). Judah dealt treacherously with his first wife by going after another (vs.11).

Paige

[Me Again]

I think the concept of God as Mother is found in the scripture (as Amie has pointed out elsewhere numerous times): "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27). Mankind is made up of male AND female, which is the Image of God. God is our Parent. Jesus is the Son. The Church (infused with the holy spirit) is the Daughter.

Jesus also refers to wanting to, like a hen with her chicks, give Jerusalem shelter under her wings. A hen is a Mother, Jesus is the exact replica (ICON) of God; therefore, Jesus relates God's Motherly instincts to Jerusalem.

The list is too numerous, but I think you get the point. While I believe that the bible was written with the male pronouns (it wasn't a conspiracy of the Religious Right, headed up by Falwell), this was more grammatical and cultural than it was attempting to Sexualize God. God is asexual for obvious reasons, but He is Transgendered. Oh boy. That one will get me kicked out of most churches...