Comments on: Something About Mary…

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:26:33 +0000

Anne – Arrogance? You? never. Again, I respect your position.

Annie – “Giving GOd and Jesus a break” That’s funny. Although, I think they have infinite patience with us, as hard as that is to believe. But, why not include the whole family?

Deb- You have such a way of saying things. To say that Mary winked at you – how cute, and utterly mysterious. I like how you put it at the end – she was silent but not meek, showing great strength in her faith. So true. Let’s all pray for that.

By: Anne Lang Bundy

Anne Lang Bundy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:11:40 +0000

Brad, I hope assurance doesn’t come across as arrogance. I’ve likewise learned to examine long-held assumptions and change them if they prove unworthy. I also stand ready to defend the assertions I’ve carefully examined and found true, and in which I’ve come to put my confidence.

By: Annie

Annie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:10:40 +0000

I think I read the same book as you. I admit I was a tad shaken by thinking of God as a ‘she’ because I was raised and think of Him as a Father. I am Catholic and Mary is a HUGE part of the faith. However, I do not pray to her. I think it is because I am so used to praying to God or Jesus that I unintentionally leave her alone. Well, your post has prompted me to include her. And maybe that will give God and Jesus a much needed break! As always, very insightful thoughts.

By: deb

deb — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:27:23 +0000

Just to touch on some thoughts, when I first started attending mass with a girlfriend, and then later my husband’s family, this mixed up soul felt Mary winking at her. Like the womb spoke louder than words. It was the beginning of some new perspectives.
I like that Mary was silent when she went to look for Jesus, and he sort of gave her attitude. I don’t see that as meek, but showing great strength in her faith. To that I can pray.

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:50 +0000

Anne – Well. Of course you can share your convictions here – that’s perfectly fine, and we want to know what you think! I used to be as certain as you are, but I must be getting old because I start questioning so many assumptions that I have always taken for granted.

LL, the Shekina glory as feminine? VEry interesting.

Maureen – Love your thoughtful comments. But I don’t think my perspective is going to qualify as representative for the broader “male perspective.” I am a little wacko…

Andrew- Really great thoughts. With good logic. Can’t God be a family? I hope so!

By: Anne Lang Bundy

Anne Lang Bundy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:02:04 +0000

I’m pulling away my collar and laying my neck out here.

I believe God is absolutely male.

Yes, He most certainly embodies both male and female characteristics. But in His creation of male and female people, He illustrates a very real relationship between deity and humanity. Jesus Christ purchased with His blood a bride which His Spirit enters, as He did Mary, to create the life of Christ.

And I believe in a physical consummation of this relationship when all else is also consummated. There is far too much to say than I can include here.

I’ve written of some of this already, on my blog (see the label “Union with Christ”). But it’s not necessary to read my words. Simply ask the Spirit for wisdom to understand the great mystery of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 5:30-32.

By: Andrew Thorn

Andrew Thorn — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:31:57 +0000

You said – “This matches up with our experience in real life, with our real families. Yet we Protestants might cringe at the bad theology of that scenario – we aren’t quite sure how to approach this subject.”

What if our lives here are a pattern of what life in Eternity will be? Can’t God be a family? – meaning that there is God the Father and God the Mother as well as God the Son? Why would we have these types of patterns here if they were meaningless from an eternal perspective?

Our earthly eyes cannot see what God sees. He plainly tells us that “my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways”. We were formed in his image, which means he may have hands and feet but they are certainly not mortal hands and feet. The fact that we cannot comprehend a divine hand or foot does not mean that it does not exist. The same may be true about the eternal nature and role of gender and the family. We may not understand it, but that does not mean it does not exist.

I for one have no problem believing in both Heavenly Parents!

By: Maureen

Maureen — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:04:22 +0000

I appreciate that you can be open to thinking about God as other than “He”. I do agree with you, though, that God is without gender and most certainly is not human.

Language, our English at any rate, bids us to name that about which we speak, and language is not gender-neutral. And efforts to use (s)he or to alternate the use of “he” and “she” are messy at best. Moreover, I don’t want to be the part of the word that’s enclosed in parentheses.

Thank you for a thoughtful essay. You’ve helped me better understand how men think.

By: L.L. Barkat

L.L. Barkat — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:23:03 +0000

Really thoughtful (and fun) way to think about this. I wonder, have you heard of the O.T. Shekinah glory? It is decidedly feminine in nature.