A Mothering God

Nhan dip Mother's Day, minh muon make a note ve mot van de rat quan trong doi ve nhung nguoi CDN. Trong Hoi Thanh Viet Nam, o trong hoac ngoai nuoc (va nhat la nhung HT conservative), it khi co dip nhac den nhung language minh su dung de noi ve DCT, e.g. the naming of God. Minh nghi rang day la mot dieu dang noi den, va neu co the nghien cuu them, minh rat muon "nhung tay" vao mot it "theology" - vi Than Hoc rat quan trong cho thuoc linh va tam linh, especially trong thoi dai nay...

Given the socio-historical contexts of the Israelites, given the diverse contexts of the OT writers as they were writing the old testament texts, they could not help but use masculine language to describe and articulate their understanding of God. Naturally so, because back then inclusive language was not a primary concern like it is for us today, because they lived in a patriarchal, if communal, society, because the gendering of Yahweh was within the context of a male-dominant society. For the Israelites as for the early Christians, God was (is) male and God was (is) imaged in male/masculine language.

It is interesting that we so often forget that the Israelites were a community of peoples forged together through adversity, and that they understood and lived the concept of community and family, and thus they understood with deep conviction that God's relationship with them was not just as God the Father but also God the Maternal. The biblical texts (such as in Isaiah, Psalms, Hosea) demonstrate that God was also envisioned in maternal images (e.g. God who is so compassionate and forgiving like the mother who never forgets the children of her womb). They could not ignore their mothering God, a God so loving and caring that they must write about God with feminine descriptors. Theirs was a God who not only protected and punished like a warrior but one who also nurtured and guided them like a mother. Throughout their people's histories, God was understood as having intervened in their lives as a mother who watches over her prodigal children, the ones borne from her own womb whom she could never forget. It was thus recorded in the ancient texts.

And as histories changed and were rewritten, we seemed to have forgotten. We've seen so many narratives of the warrior, of the punisher, that we forget the embodiment of what is so critical to human sustainability -- Grace in all its forms, whether male or female, whether gendered or neutral, but Grace nonetheless. Unphasing, unearned, but unequivocal Grace.

As I think on our mothers and the roles they have played in our lives, I know it isn't wrong to think of God as a mothering God (I should say I stole this descriptor from Dr. KJKuan, Prof. of OT at PSR). As a person of faith, it is often difficult for me to reconcile old church texts (e.g. Book of Common Prayer, Hymnals, Bible, etc) that articulate an understanding of God in certain ways (i.e. male-centric language). Inclusive language plays a large part of whatever liturgy I participate in, and my consciousness of the lack of inclusive language battles each time I sing one of those favorite old time hymns.

This is something I still have to think on. As I begin to articulate more freely about my theology and my Christology, I have to ask how far I am willing to go... I would love to hear more thoughts from folks on this. Email me if you wish to keep it personal -- our articulations don't always have to be verbalized (displayed) in this pseudo-private/public space.