Transgender God, Part 2: The Motherhood of God

🕑 5 minutes

In “Transgender God, Part 1: What’s in a Name,“ I shared a sensitivity with “Father” as a name for God since many have been abused by theirs. I also spoke of compassion for the #LGBTQA Community who suffer everything from name calling to persecution or death solely for their identity/love choice.

God chose the male AND female gender to express “Himself” (Genesis 1:27), and if “He” can identify with both genders,  we’d do well to accept others who do the same. After all, the Royal Law is: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8), and last I checked no one wants a hard time, especially from strangers, on deeply personal matters like identity or marriage choice…

Treat others as you want to be treated, right?

This Wild Kids, Wild God series was always about sharing God’s Heart, and a precious though hidden revelation is found when reflecting on God as Mother.

The original Hebrew bible text (via Blueletterbible.org) gives “rechem” as one word for Womb. The root means love, mercy, compassion, affection, so symbolic and fitting for this special and safe place where a child develops.

God says we “live, move and have our being” in Him (Acts 17:28, Bible) and that’s exactly what a baby experiences in the womb. Totally surrounded yet a totally separate entity.

More mother-like references:

• God Who gives birth “You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” (Deuteronomy 32:18)
• God like a nursing mother: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)
• El Shaddai/Breast-feeding God: The Name for God which means “Lord God Almighty, contains ‘Shaddai,’ which has in its Hebrew root the word “breast.” SayWhat? Imagine a child drinking the life-nutrients in the safety and comfort of this tender place. (God, is also referred to as the All Sufficient One, see e.g. Genesis 49:25 or scroll down here).
• God like a comforting mother: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you..” (Isaiah 66:13)
• Jesus disclosing a mother hen longing to gathers her chicks: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34)
• God as a woman in labor “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.” (Isaiah 42:14)
  

*A word about Weeping: Crying is often associated with women and weakness. It’s sometimes used to insult (eg. crying like a girl, boys don’t cry) and emotional displays can be frowned upon, even in “Christian” circles. However,

Jesus Himself wept, including at the funeral of a friend he’d soon raise from the dead (if there was evera moment not to cry, you would think it would be then, but instead he bawled, John 11:35). Jesus also pleaded on our behalf with “loud cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). Nothing reserved or passionless about that.

Real men don’t cry? I beg to differ. 

When I gave birth to my first child, a new desire was born in my heart: protect this child at all costs, and love without condition​. When I hear about Christian/Religious people shunning others, including their own children, for different beliefs or ideas, well, if the hallmark of a Christian is Love, then Damn, we blew it.

There’s a before-after photo of a mother’s tattoo fix in which the image of her then-daughter was modified to reflect the child’s new identity as a boy. Some may cringe, or even say the child is possessed, but I see a God-glimpse: Unconditional Love and Support no matter what.  Afterall, Love is not concerned with outside appearance, but matters of the heart. (and can I just say: all the estrogen women on birth control pills pee out isn’t filtered from water, every perfume you smell contains hormone disruptors (phtalates), just like all the soft plastics like shower curtains, rubber duckies and countless other children’s toys, “new car smell,” vinyl and PVC floors… hormones in milk, hormones in meat, …..). 

The mom with the tattoo shared how brave she thought her son was, and yes, going against social norms and opening yourself up to (fierce and legal) disapproval of loved ones and strangers alike is Brave. But that’s another God-glimpse– Jesus was so against the ‘establishment’ it sought to kill him.

Moms should be their kids biggest supporters (some moms mess it up big time) and when others let you down a mom should have your back full stop. After all, she suffered, sweat and bled to bring you into this world (Wow, Jesus may be more like women than we dared dream…).

But the truth remains, human biology and God’s Own words can put people on opposing sides and bible verses have been used to justify oppression, hatred, and flat-out killing of fellow men, women, children, creation.

Love shines Light in the mess of religion and rules, and God is Love and God is Spirit (John 4:24, 1 John 4:8). Neither have anything to do with flesh, blood, or gender. So

 

No matter how we experience God, He’s bigger than any title or gender. And you’ll never see me use “He/She” as a pronoun for God because God is so much more.

We shouldn’t box God or our fellow man, so let’s just learn from the Transgender God verse in Genesis 1:27, broadcast on the loud speaker in the New Testament too:

“There is no longer Male and Female. We are all one in Jesus Christ.”
(Galatians 3:28, Bible)

Didn’t we learn as kids: “it’s what’s on the inside that counts”?

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Other articles of interest:
–5 Ways you never considered that women are like Jesus.
-God, the Original Rebel.
-Want to know more about your Divine Identity, Check Born to be Free.
-Want to know more of God’s Tender Heart or wrestling with Love vs Law? Check:
–Pearl and Mother of Pearl, You’re God’s Magnum Opus
-Law verses Love? A Bad Example from Ezra and the Broken Families
–Wildly Loved but Love Burns Hot.

A Mother’s Love is Proof God Exists (Poem)

A mother’s love is something that no one can explain,
It’s made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may,
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away,
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking,
It believes beyond believing when the world condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems,
It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation,
A many splendored miracle man cannot understand,
And another wonderous evidence of God’s tender guiding hand!
(Sadly I can no longer find back the original author for credit)