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The Bible reveales God as our father in heaven (Matthew 6, 11-15), and we are His
children, brother and sister in the great human family: He makes our brotherhood possible.
The divine figure also appears closer to us if we see Him as our mummy and as our daddy,
adpting us as His beloved Kids.
Three texts show God as my daddy (Abba):
1) Mark 14, 36: "…And
he said: Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me:
neverthless not what I will, but what You will".
Here Jesus alone is in Gethsemane, his friends let Him alone with His pain, his agony. His
greatest pain is to feel isolated, misunderstood, forsaken. He needed help, comfort and He
did not loose His faith, but was just suffering because God seemed so far away.
In fact, God is very close to us in the heart of sorrow: we just need to keep in touch
with Him, to be related ;
2) Romans 8, 14-15: "…For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God. For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry : Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God " The Holy Spirit tells my mind: He loves me, I am His sonny. I
don'have to be afraid, for He always wants what is best for me: He adopted me and I am
born again, liberated from all bondages of sin, fear and sadness.
3) Galatians 4, 6-7 : " We
might receive the adotion of sons… And because we are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying : Abba, Father ". Once again, the
Holy Spirit helps me recognizing Him as my daddy: it requires the work of the Trinity to
get this comprehension of God as my Abba (daddy). He is very close to me, and I remain his
kid, even if I am maladjusted or dysobeying.
That is the Good News of the Gospel, discovering God from this new vision, this new
perspective and worldview, which helps me overcoming the hindrance to my fulfillment when
I accept the peace, the security and the forgiveness He offers.
He (She) gives unconditional love as my mother, sharing with me His (Her) affection,
compassion, and acceptance, as described in Isaiah 49, 14-15: " But Zion said:
the Lord has forsaken me, forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she might forget, yet will I not
forget thee ".
I am born from God: " You are born from the belly, carried from the womb ".
The Bible shows God's motherlove in action: " Surely I have behaved and quieted
myself as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even as a weaned child ".
God gives me what I need, and He (she) can dry the tears I shed: " ..as one whom
his mother comfort, so will I comfort you " (Is. 66, 13-14); " God shall wipe
away all the tears from their eyes " (Revelation 21, 4).
God is like an eagle protecting her nest: " As an eagle stirred up her nest,
fluttered over her young, spreaded abroad her wings, taked them, beared them on her wings
" (Deuteronomy 32, 11-12).
He guides me, will lead and protect me; I feel confident and secured under her wings of
love: " Hide me under the shadow of his wings "(Psalm 17, 8-9).
" He shall cover me with his feathers, under his wings I trust " (Psalm 91,
4).
He sets me free from my enemies, and carries me to freedom: " You have seen what
I did unto the Egyptians, how I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself
"(Exodus 19, 4): so He acts, interferes in my life, but respecting my
free-choice, my will. He (She) just wants to give me tenderness and consolation: "
Oh Jerusalem... how often, would I have gathered the children together, even as a hen
gathered her children under her wings, and you would not " (Matthew 23, 37).
Too often we reject the gift of His love but God is patient, always ready to stretch out
His arms of justice (as he did on the cross) and love (like a mother embracing Her kid),
opening His (Her) wings of reconciliation. He has the qualities of a father, of a daddy,
and of a mummy: justice and love, severity and tenderness! In Him, the law and the gospel
join together in a sweet harmony and a strong power ! Let us just accept it !
Jean-Michel MARTIN |
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