Pam over at How God Messed Up My Religion had a great post Sunday with and interview she did with William Young the author of The Shack. That post led me back to Porpoise Diving Life and a post that they did about the feminine side of God. Erin from Decompressing Faith also contributed on this subject. I just had to process through and offer my cup on what I believe encompasses the gender identity of God.
Because I just finished reading The Shack this subject is very fresh for me. In the book Papa (aka God) appears to Mack as an African American woman. God does this He tells Mack, because God had to break through Mack's preconceived ideas about God and Macks religiousness. Papa had to cut through Mack's head to get to his heart. Sounds like a mom there.
And later on in the book Papa appears as a man...."because you will need a father for this part". Indicating to me that a different essence of God is needed. Father strength is needed. Physical and emotional and mental.
What I believe is that Papa knows what me need. When we need it. He meets us where He knows He needs to. He provides. This is mercy.
I am not altogether certain that God has a gender.
He is love. He said, I AM.
Another thing that struck me as profound in this book was Papa's explanation as to why the 'father' role is so pivotal to a broken creation. The role of father is broken. From sin. From the fall. I can only speak for myself in this. Because of my own relationship with my father. A very broken tattered relationship....I could not accept the Father's love for me. I had no concept. I just couldn't go there with my heart. I went to Jesus. Then the Father met me there. In the book, Mack's relationship with his abusive birth father was restored. This father piece is huge for us. It's huge for this broken bride and broken world. Restoration is the cry of the Father's heart.
I truly believe that God is the mother and the father. He created them both. Male and Female. In HIS image. I think to go through this relationship with God and never experience the fullness of both leaves a void in the intimacy of that relationship. It's not whole.
People get offended when they hear that God has feminine qualities. But that is where this gets messy. Feminine is a word that implies soft. Weak. It is man's perception of the word feminine that creates the roadblock. Not Gods willingness to express.
5 comments:
Thanks for the mention, Tara. It was fun to have a place where it was OK to explore this subject.
It is fun Erin. But more than that it is freeing. I cannot believe how the subjects and comments made by others propel me into depths and levels that I have never gone. To truly think for ME and sort and sift out to where my heart truly lies. You Dear One are one of those that encourage me along. Thanks for being so unorthodox. You are a great example and model for me.
It's not really my goal to be unorthodox, though if that is where I end up, I'm not afraid of it. The other thing you said is what I'm all about...thinking for yourself... coming to your own conclusions and place of peace with who God is, because I don't believe He is capable of misleading those who seek him.
I agree. But first we (I) must seek and not be afraid to step outta the box of very organized religous ideals and thought patterns. I have never thought that Jesus was about binding and instilling fear. I too am unafraid of where this takes me because like you said He won't mislead those to who seek Him. And for the past 3 years I have been questioning and seeking a deeper place. I want to walk in the liberty of Him. And you encourage me to do that. So many others out there do as well. And that can never be found inside the church. Or I should say rarely found inside the walled church. Perhaps unorthodox is a stong word to use. But it speaks volumes to me about your integrity and quest to seek out and express and process your own walk outside the box. That is inspiring.
Well, thank you very much Tara. I just know it can be an overwhelming and confusing thing to begin to think for ourselves after years of being dependent on others to tell us our religious beliefs. I just want people to feel less alone in the process.
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