This week I want
to highlight one phrase from the gospel text (Luke 13: 31- 35). Those who know
me well may already have guessed which phrase it will be.
“I
desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her
wings.”
I
cannot lose the opportunity to re-imagine God. And here we have this lovely,
feminine, protective image of God as a mother.
Mothering
images have largely been overlooked as patriarchal culture has given us a male
god. So it is important that we lift these images from the text. That we savour
them. That we allow our mind to be full of them. That we let them permeate us
and help us re-imagine a female imagery for God.
Of
course, God is God. All language about God is metaphorical. In a sense any
images we have of God is only to help us on our spiritual journey. God is not a
literal woman, but neither is God a literal man!
Sadly,
centuries of seeing women as property, weak, unimportant, insignificant,
disposable, to be used by men have led to an unbalanced view of God. This is
reflected in Bible interpretations, art works, even in more contemporary
movies. The pronoun for God has always been “he”.
It
is time to start re-imaging God. At this point I throw out the challenge that I,
and others before me, have done. Spend the next three to six months only
referring to God as she. It is only when one is as comfortable using “she” for
God as using “he” that the female imagery can really start to be appreciated
and, more importantly, that the male image is becoming less dominant.
For
all of us I think this is a journey. I can only speak for myself, but from
early childhood God was always spoken of as male. I grew up with a male God. It
is hard to leave behind thoughts and images that have been with us all our
lives, images that are part of the predominant culture. It has to be a
conscious choice, a determination to leave behind the exclusive, male God.
With
that there may be a need to put aside also the traditional male/female roles
and see a more rounded, inclusive view of humanity (but that discussion is not
for today).
One
thing that I have found helpful is to pounce on these female images in the
scriptures. To give them special attention. To make sure that we are mindful of
the lovely references to God as a mother.
Julian
of Norwich (1342-1416) highlighted this need to see the feminine in God. A
passage from her writing is included in our Way
of Living (pg. 174-5). One of the lines says, “This grace is for all the
world because it is our precious mother, Christ.”
I
think it is really important that we don’t ignore the references to God as
mother. That we find and note the imagery of God as female. There have been
many excellent books by feminist theologians on the subject, well worth
exploring.
I
hope everyone within our community will rise to this challenge. It is a crucial
one. It is an important part of who we are as a community.
I
will let the final word go to Elizabeth
Johnson who speaks to the far-reaching effects of this challenge. “By challenging
the bed-rock assumption of this arrangement, naming God in female images
promotes change or, in religious terms, conversion of a community's mind and
heart to the true equality of women” (2000, Boardman Lecture in Christian
Ethics).
(The image depicted is the
mosaic in Dominus Flevit, a chapel on the Mount of Olives)
