Loving the Father Again
Scripture: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hollowed be [His] name.” Matthew 6:9
Reflection: Thinking of God as a Father was something I long struggled with. Growing up my relationship with my dad turned sour after my mom left my brother and me with him. Losing the balance of a caring, graceful and mercy-filled mother really threw things out of whack and diminished the Godly design of our now broken family. Through that pain, relating to God as a Father became so tarnished that it became repulsive to me. It seems this is true for many. Even now that I have learned why the Bible refers to God as Father and uses terms like He and Him. I’ve had people lash out with anger at me when I refer to God as a male. I often forget that it is a loaded concept. The view of God as Father took a lot of study before I found peace with the image. So it can be tricky to discuss God in masculine terms.
I’ve noticed a trend in the Church were we neuter God and have begun to “Him” in gender-neutral terms such as You and Yours. I suppose it’s because, like my old self, many people have a hard time thinking of God in masculine terms. It’s even written into our Book of Confessions as something to be sensitive about. The thing that inspired me to write on this topic was Crossroads worship service where I sat near the woman pastor from another church. When we sang hymns that used the words He or Him, I could hear her replace them with You and Your. I imagined that she too had a human father, or maybe a husband, who ruined her to relating to a masculine God. While I’m not certain what caused her to change the words, I was saddened by the thought of masculine terms ruining a person’s ability to appreciate such beauty. I sometimes worry that readers of my devotions won’t enjoy them since I often use the words He and Him when referring to God. So I’m writing this in hopes that I can speak a loving word to those hearts that are still tarnished like mine was.
I recall an article on gotquestions.org that started the changed in my heart about a masculine God, it is titled “Is God male or Female?” The response says “While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth.” I liked that answer. Furthermore, the Bible likens the Church to a Bride to whom God is betrothed. I find that image very endearing. Considering the customary role of the Husband as sustainer and protector, it makes my heart swell with comfort thinking that I am in that kind of relationship with God (and it doesn’t feel odd to me that I am male but considered the Bride).
Another thing I recently read was in a commentary on Genesis by a Jewish scholar Denis Prager. In it, Prager makes an interesting case that males are more rule oriented and that in order for people to behave they need to have rules to follow. Moreover, Prager says that young boys need a Father to give them guidelines and to whom they are accountable. Prager quotes a speech in which Barack Obama cites a Harvard study that claims boys without a healthy Father figure are inclined to unruly behavior and are “5 times more likely to live in poverty and commit crimes”. Statistics also show that a high number of prisoners come from fatherless homes–true for both male and female inmates. Prager makes goes on to say that a male-oriented law-giver God has a lot to do with the protection of women because violence is overwhelmingly committed by lawless men, and very often men are violent to women. The sad part, he says is that the movement to render God gender-less, or simply less masculine, is mostly women led. Prager says, if successful, it is women who will suffer most from a society deprived of the law given down by a masculine God.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for revealing yourself in a way that heals our brokenness and speaks love into our sin. Help us be made in your Image. Remind us the fault of us trying to fit You into an image of what we think You should be. By following Your ways, may we be the ones to create strong, Godly families where men and women work in healthy partnerships to raise children who won’t suffer from a tarnished image of You.
This song was on my mind and heart as I went to publish this devotion. Kings are men, and the King of my heart is a good, good Father who will never let me down. Enjoy!
These are some books that come to mind about knowing God as a Father. In “The Mind of St. Paul”, author William Barclay gives a good historical background about Fathers in Biblical times.
OldChristianRadio.com plays a lot of traditional Christian music that makes me think of the music our fathers and their fathers grew up with!
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