God the Father

The majority of us have read or heard the New Years Resolution for 2016: “God speaks: I want to comfort you as a mother comforts her child.” It is one of the few places in the Bible where God also has feminine characteristics.

Of course fathers can also give comfort, however most little children seek comfort from their mothers when experiencing problems and hurts. So it might seem strange when God, who is normally known to us as our Father, is suddenly compared to a mother.

Jesus also always addressed God as His Father. In this case there are usually two groups. The one speaks of God, as Father and Mother, the other sees in Mary, the feminine side of God.
The second group can be shown our Scripture for today: “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” Even though Mary can be a good example to us humans, she is not holier or godlier than any of us Christians and definitely not a mediator between God and us.

With the first group it is not so easy. Nowhere in the Bible (apart from extravagant translations) do we find anything to depict God as also being our mother, the Bible always speaks only of God as our Father. However, we must also note that there is no mention anywhere in the Bible of God's gender. This only came into existence with Adam and Eve in this world, to provide Adam with a counterpart, a helper, a partner, to love him and go forth and multiply with him.

All of this does not apply to God. He is Everything in all, He is above gender. Thus, God can have male and female characteristics. Whoever has God as his heavenly Father, does not need a heavenly mother. God is everything for him.

So we are able to come to God with all our needs and fears. He carries our burdens and comforts us in times of need.

I wish you a blessed day in the protection of our loving Father.

Rainer Gigerich