Happy International Women's Day:
Today, unintentionally, my egalitarian pastor's preaching on the subject of God being our dangerous MAMA bear went hand in hand on this International Women's Day 2020, March 8th. His sermon lines were to beware of dangerous associations yet be under the most dangerous association of being in relationship with God. God is a Mama bear who, if you mess with her Cubs, She is coming after you! That was his lovely, powerful message.
Now back to International Women's Day:
Here's my take: I am so glad that my pastor unintentionally ended up celebrating the feminine side of God, giving me a better frame to say this. To start first exalting and celebrating God’s feminine character!
Some people say we need to get Adam right but I believe unless we understand the divinity right we will continue to feed into the dominant unhealthy patriarchal one-sided view of God and still feel shy to mention the feminine side of God or to joyfully exalt God’s feminine side and thus look down on women as second class citizens.
Bible portrays God both as FEMININE and Masculine. Both Male and Female bear God's image.
If we read and emphasize GOD portrayed as a Lion and lamb, certainly based on God's Word, we can learn to equally emphasize God as fierce as Mama Bear protecting her cubs and gentle as mama Hen covering her brood under her wings (as Jesus stated), and as mama eagle carrying us on her wings, guiding us to fly to greater heights.
Before, I had mixed feelings saying something about this day: on one side regardless of the obstacles placed in women’s ways, God continues to empower women. From time immemorial women have been blamed, accused, marginalized and put at different rungs on a ladder, what they are “allowed” and what they are not “allowed to do by patriarchal society. Then many recognized that women do have a place in leadership. So those who previously did not consider equal, few years ago, some started considering women as equals yet found some way to keep them behind, under and beneath, with different gender roles, not penetrate boys' clubs, jobs, and learning spheres and so on…then on other side we exalt women one day, and we think women are equal yet we disrespect, ignore and marginalize women on daily basis. We have a problem and shrink back to accept feminine side of God and thus we think just a little less of women. Still many girls are not allowed to study higher, or have to give up studies to “create” room for boys to excel. We exalt the gentle side of women but not the fierce one. Aggressive men are exalted but aggressive women are looked down upon. While some men and women look down on women, I am grateful for MANY men and women who continue to empower women in their areas of interests. PC, Priyanka Chopra the famous Indian actress, the Quantico girl said her dad told her, “Why try to fit into glass slipper when you can shatter the glass ceiling?” Then she said that she learned that it’s about working hard without concentrating on the glass ceiling;
We all recognize that be it US 2016 election or 2020 campaign or certain work places or even the church arenas, women still are marginalized and not able to "shatter the glass ceiling”! So while patriarchal society continues to dominate a large % of our time, in this era also, we still can celebrate women and most importantly the feminine fierce side of God as well. Women's celebration is not just about gentleness but also about fierceness.
Yes, we need to write and hear more hymns that exalt the femininity of God, not just as Father but as Mother too or as a Parent! Did you also learn that it is lioness that hunts and provides?? Wow, so much to celebrate when it comes to feminine side of God, animals, and human beings!
So my pastor’s message on God as Mama bear gave me fuel to exalt God in that respect and then all women who are fierce mama bears, hardworking lionesses, protecting mama hens and high flying mama eagles guiding and carrying the society to next level.
Catch this, even as I type this on my laptop, I hear a Christian radio read today’s proverb chapter:8 Lady wisdom cries out.. I will write just few verses you go finish reading the rest of the Proverb 8.
1 Does not wisdom call out?Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 ‘To you, O people, I call out;I raise my voice to all humanity.
Blessings!
KC aka Kalpana Christian Sharma
(Guarded by mama bear like God, Hidden and shielded under the protection of mama
Hen like Jesus, provided for by Mama Lioness, guided and carried on Mama eagle's wings)
(No part of this may be reproduced without the prior permission of the author)
