Having grown up in a Patriarchal society, and attending a Patriarchal denomination for most of my life, allowing myself to think of and describe God in a feminine way still feels very taboo.
My position on this is changing though, and the reason why is a larger understanding of scripture as a whole.
Beginning in Genesis, we are told that both male and female were made in the image of God- yet- we only ever hear of God described through the use of masculine pronouns.
He. Father. Son. Man.
But God is a spirit, and spirits have no gender.
Or, maybe, spirits transcend gender, or are both genders simultaneously. I don’t know, and that’s not really the point of this post.
The point is changing the narrative, overcoming fear, and embracing the feminine attributes of God.
The reason I feel this is important is because you can’t truly love a person if you only allow yourself to acknowledge half of who they are.
How much more would that apply to trying to love God completely and wholeheartedly?
Now, it’s important to acknowledge that even though the Bible does have feminine imagery for God it does not ever directly call God “Mother” or use feminine pronouns.
As with anything, it’s important to understand why- and to realize that the omission of something does not equal that thing being forbidden.
There are instances of cult worship where nature is elevated to a position of deity. In these cults, the earth is referred to as a Mother Goddess. The earth, and nature, are given the worship that God alone deserves. (Think Mother Earth, etc.)
In order to differentiate between God as our creator, and the false goddess of the world- many authors chose to avoid the feminine pronouns altogether. This would avoid confusion on what they were saying, and who they were referring to.
The choice was wise, in light of who their audience was at the time, but, in future generations, it would cause a misunderstanding of what is actually wrong and what is good and right when referring to God.
In an effort to avoid the idolization of the earth- we have idolized the male half of humankind.
In an effort to stop that idolization I am trying to draw awareness to the female imagery of God in the Bible.
The following compilation is taken from the following blog titled: Biblical Maternal Images for God
“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm. 17:8)
“… I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm. 57:1)
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge …” (Psalm. 91:4)
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34)
Hosea 13:8 – “Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open,” says the Lord
“For a long time I [God] have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.” (Isaiah. 42:14)
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I [God] comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah. 66:13)
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I [God] will not forget you!” (Isaiah. 49:15)
God is not a man. Neither is God a woman. God is a Spirit.
And when you worship God, remember this, and worship in Spirit and Truth.
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