Ancient writers recognise the qualities of both Father and Mother in God, as Clement of Alexandria, notes, in God’s ‘compassion he has become for us mother’.
Isaiah 63:15-17
Psalm 139:1-3, 13, 23-24
1 Corinthians 8:5-6
Ancient writers, and the Bible itself, recognise the qualities of both Father and Mother in God, as Clement of Alexandria, one of the earliest commentators, notes, in God’s ‘compassion he has become for us mother’. We cannot truly conceive of the vastness of the universe, when it would take the fastest mode of transport we could now devise fifteen thousand years to reach the nearest star system to our sun, but we can begin to appreciate the miracle of that tiny, tiny part of the universe which we inhabit. Not everything
around us is ‘bright and beautiful’ and we ourselves have abused our earth, yet it is God “who continually entreats us to take from his riches and to carry off wealth from his storehouse, that we may be rich through his treasures and not poverty stricken” (Philoxenus of Mabbug). May we be constantly mindful of the riches entrusted to us and of the privilege and the responsibility which that stewardship entails.
We bless you, O Lord, Father of lights:
from you descends every good thing
and every perfect gift.
You have made the world and all that
it contains,
you are the Lord of heaven and earth.
You created all the peoples that dwell
on the earth.
For them you established the order of
time and the boundaries of their
space.
In the heart of human beings, you
have placed the depth of eternity.
Rebirth in us that unity that our
selfishness has fractured
in your Church and in the one world
around us.
God of all consolation,
call us to follow you
and make firm for us the work of
our hands.
We praise you through Jesus Christ,
your only-begotten Son,
in the communion of the Holy Spirit.
AMEN
What is all this?
What is ‘is’ at all?
You know, as we can only guess.
Enflame us, ultimate I Am, with the wonder of being when our understanding must bow to your beyond.
(see www.ctbi.org.uk/goanddo)
Personal: Consider how you can help renew the part of the world that you inhabit. What small act of service or care could you undertake to make a difference?
Local: How could you work with other churches to show God’s love in your community? Invite churches near you to explore this question together.
Global: Seek out opportunities to learn about and connect with your global neighbours. This could be through strengthening your church’s international links or engaging with global issues like the climate crisis.
Photo: ©Jim Forest
