Question on the divine femenine.

I was recently in a rather interesting discussion on the topic of the divine femenine. The premise presented to me, was that the Holy Spirit was the female entity of God, known as Sophia (based upon the Greek for wisdom). Before I go on, however, allow me to clarify that, the idea of a Sophia is utter heresy, and I do not ascribe to it in the least. However, the discussion did bring up some interesting points.

In the book of Genesis, during the very famous account of creation, the Word states quite clearly that humans, both male and female, are made in the image of God. Also, the book of Proverbs often makes reference to wisdom, an undeniably God-given trait, in the femenine, always taking a femenine pronoun in reference to it. Some use this as a basis for the Sophia myth. While I wholeheartedly agree with both premises, I believe that the conclusion strays from any believable deduction and too far into unorthodoxy.

The Creation account gives us an excellent view into the nature of God, for by knowing that He made us in His image, we are able to learn much about Him. While I would feel it safe to say that there are certian femenine and masculine traits which God posesses, I believe that to ascribe a certian gender (be it femenine or masculine) to Him, is to greatly limit God in ways that he cannot be limited.

When looking at God, one must remember that it is we who are created in His image, and not the other way around. Therefore if we recall that it is both male and female who are made in his image, one can hardly say that God is either male or female. Some would use this to say that God is both, however I feel it more accurate to say that He is neither. Gender is a physical characteristic, and God, being above such bodily limitations, cannot be confined to such boundries.

Some proponents of God's masculinity argue that He is always referred to in the masculine in Scripture, and called Father. My answer to this, is that in speaking to humans through Scripture, God, being all knowing and trying to impart understanding to we who are considerably less than all knowing, must speak in words and images we can understand. This can be best illustraited by Christ's use of parables. Since humans are limited in understanding to that which we have seen and experienced, God speaks to us on our terms. While the image of some great omnisient, omnipresent being can be a difficult thing to grasp, the image of a loving Father is one more readily recieved into our imaginations, not to mention that it well personifies the relationship God wants to have with us. It is, at least in some small way, similar to when I refer to my Abbot as "Father". While is of no blood relation to me, he still takes the role of my spiritual father and guide. Just as my birth father guided and supported me while I grew up, so does my spiritual father lead me on the path of my spiritual development. How much moreso then, should God be our Father, who is our Guide and Support in all things? It is not a question of gender, but a question of His relation to us and ours to Him.

So if we agree that God may have certian traits that are masculine and certian that are femenine, how do we know which of these traits he posesses? That answer is rather simple. All that is good, comes from God. Any good that exists in me, is not of myself, but of God. This is true of any man or woman. Therefore, all that is good, of both genders, if of God. So take no pride in yourself, thinking that your masculinity or femeninity (whatever the case may be) gifts you to some rank or prestige, for nothing good comes of man (or woman). Also let not your gender be a source of shame or disgrace, for that too, is of God. And most imporantly, know that no matter who you are, reguardless of gender, race or social status, God understands you fully and completely in His perfect love. Amen.

Vincent Christian

God is Love.

24 June 2005

In the book of First John, we are presented with the simple phrase "God is Love". The statement seems remarkably simple at first, being composed of only three short words. However on closer contemplation, one begins to get the full taste of this profound description of God. Humans toss around the little four letter word "love" quite frequently, when we in fact have only a fragment of understanding as to the word's true implications. While we in the mortal world tend to equate it to an emotion, or occasionally something deeper, the rich portrait painted by John in his epistle of God is something that delves past the very limit of human understanding.

And yet we try, as always to grasp the concept, because to meditate upon it is to seek out the very face of God. God is Love. What does that mean? It's hard to fathom anything being love, as we tend to use the word more often as a verb than a noun. And while love certainly has the element of action behind it, for one can hardly claim to truly love something without that love inspiring them to certain unavoidable results, love as a noun denotes the substantial reality of the word. Too often we equate love to this ideal that exists somewhere off in the realm of philosophy and ideas, and yet, it is very real and very attainable.

The world today spends a great deal of effort in search of love, as can be seen by the drastic increase in online dating services. People want to meet someone with whom they can share their experiences, their joys and sorrows, with the expectation that this human love will satisfy their intrinsic need for love. And yet it doesn't. Anyone who looks for such fulfillment in a person, even a spouse, will only find themselves disappointed. Don't get me wrong, a lifemate is certainly a blessing, and can be a source of great joy and love, but one must understand that any love we experience is only a reflection of that perfect Love that comes only from God. People often wonder why the divorce rate is so high. I believe it is because people are seeking to fill the void in their life with earthly love without the realization that only Divine Love can quench that thirst. When one puts all their hope in man, one cannot help but come up disappointed, no matter how exceptional one's spouse may be. Even the deepest soulmate cannot fill the role that God is meant to play in our lives, so putting such unreal expectations upon your mate can only serve to set that person, and that relationship up for failure.

But getting back to the question, what does it mean that "God is Love"? The verbs "is, am, are," are all conjugated forms of the verb "to be". The importance of this little word is reflected in its overly frequent use. If you've ever studied a foreign language, it is the first very conjugation you will learn. It is a necessary word in order to convey your sense of being. One cannot even begin to describe oneself without this word, and so we use it in every introduction, every conversation. The fact that God is Love does more than merely say that He feels Love, or that he acts upon Love. It goes much deeper than that. Right down to the very core of God's being, if we stip everything else away, all of history, all of our understanding and misunderstanding, all of creation to get down to the bare essence of what God is, we find Love. That Love which draws us to Him, that Love which the world tries and fails to fulfill with vanity, that Love which makes our frail and insignificant existence team with meaning that would otherwise be lost. And so, in stripping everything down to find the simple truth that God is Love, we find the very foundation for all that is. The entirety of existence revolves around this simply profound truth, that God is Love. Amen.

Vincent Christian