What Is God Like?

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!
                - Isaiah 49:15

Jesus starts of his parable in Luke 15:8-10 this way, "Or suppose a woman..." That was a radical way to begin a teaching in his day and age, because he clearly compares God to a woman. That was not done in the ancient world of Judaism, and no doubt it cause plenty of raised eyebrows (and perhaps contributed to the religious leaders wanting to kill him). Jesus was always exploding the boxes that people put God in. 

But Jesus was simply following some themes in the Old Testament where God is freely compares himself to a woman like in the above verse from Isaiah 49 (and clearly this is not the only time - for example, take a look at Ps 131). There's something in the culture of the Church that makes it hard for us to identify with God as a woman, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for the Trinity! 

So today, take some time to reflect on God mothering you, nurturing you, and being kind to you. Allow God to break out of some of your boxes, and let some new ways of thinking be an avenue for more of God's love and leadership into your life.