May 12, 2013, Mother's Day. This day is bitter sweet for some who either have no children, have no mom's here still to celebrate, or who have children that are estranged or who have committed suicide. It may be a day fraught with sadness, empty arms, and broken hearts.
Yesterday a friend of mine buried her mom. Today is a day of complicated feelings of sadness, happiness, hope, futility, concern, and joy. But to lift our spirits and give us back the day I wish to share in this blog a fuller understanding of God as 'Mother'.
Many people think of God as "Our Father". God, the Creator of all mankind, the Father of the Universe and beyond including Man is so much more than just a Father of us all. But God is a Mother of us as well. It is interesting to view in the King James Version of the Holy Bible and how this Fact is subtly wound through to show us God’s Motherhood. Few times the translators allowed the female ‘gender’ of God to shine through.
Such as: “…how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”1
“As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”2
“…wisdom is justified of all her children.”3
What are mothers without the Divine Motherhood imaged forth? The motherly symbols of comfort can only come perfectly from our Mother God. She sustains and maintains us, tenderly caring for us, revealing to us our balanced nature as complete whole ideas of an all loving Father Mother God.
In the first chapter of Genesis it states, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."4
Mary Baker Eddy, the discover and founder of Christian Science explains, “Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God.”5
It would be impossible for the Creator to create man as 'male and female', a combined perfect form of being, without the perfect Male and Female balance of a Father Mother God. Man couldn’t express both the qualities of strength and nurturing if God was only the masculine heading, "Father". Without the Mother’s influence of love, gentleness, God, as a perfect and complete Divine Being, would be impossible. God must be the perfect balance and combination of both the masculine and feminine qualities revealed by His/Her idea 'Man'. Otherwise there would be no balance, no perfect Whole Divine Being. All masculine and feminine expression melds as one harmonious Being, God. Man, as the reflection of this 'male AND female’ creation manifests this balance in his/her wholeness as God’s perfect child idea. God, Who see all that He created as 'very good' has to be both the masculine and feminine combined as One. Man as His/Her reflection manifests this perfect combination.
This revelation of God's completeness gives to us all the Divine Parent, the Father Mother God. This perfect Parent tenderly loves Her Idea, Man. She gently tends to our every need. She never leaves us. But is constant protection to Her divine sweet babe, Man, through Her Christ.
“God is known in loving-kindness,
God, the true, eternal good;
Zion, ne'er will He forsake thee,
Trust His Father-Motherhood.
Can a mother leave her children?
Can unchanging Love forget?
Though all earthly friends betray thee,
Lo, His arm enfolds thee yet.”6
Let us be reunited, strengthened, blessed, reassured by our Father Mother God. Let us feel the wholeness and completion this brings. Let us honor our Father Mother God by acknowledging Her beautiful Selfhood that created us in Her and His great goodness and Divine Being.
We are never parents alone in this vast wilderness trying to be good mortals. But we are the reflections of the Perfect Parent who is guiding and loving us all. If we are not parents ourselves we still can rejoice in this day’s revelation of true Mother’s Day. A day to rejoice and celebrate our true Mother-Father God. Happy MOTHER'S Day!
Gentle hugs
1 The King James Version of the Holy Bible Luke 13 vs. 34
2 ibid Isaiah 66 vs. 13
3 ibid Luke 7 vs. 35
4 ibid Genesis 1 vss. 27, 28
5 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy pag3 516 line 22
6 Christian Science Hymnal No. 76 vs. 1
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