“God so loved the world, that God gave the only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”
God is the shared life at the heart of the universe, three in one love. We must constantly be aware that when we use language to name God, we are using metaphors. When we call God father, we are saying God is like fathers we know. We, and the scriptures, also call God mother, friend, and lover. These, too, are only images.
Many people, especially women, experience a problem in our use of so much male language to name God. Sometimes maleness seems the essence of the triune God. As some theologians point out, if God is male, then the male is God. None of us wants to limit God to being in our own image, and especially not to just one gender image. It is important to name God as richly and fully as we can.
What names of God have meaning for you and have helped you call on God in times of difficulty or joy?
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I look forward to your reflections. Thank you