The way we see God

Two readings set for today are about the way we see God and therefore the way we may see ourselves and others. The writer of the Psalm said, “The Lord is my shepherd”. This is probably the best known psalm in our culture. In John 10:7, Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep.”

Most people who love this Psalm have never seen a shepherd. It is popular because of what is offered to the reader. It says that the writer believes God will look after him and provide for him generously. He sees God as offering rest, relaxation and restoration, protection, comfort, support and esteem, reassurance, hope and contentment. We get words like “pastor” and “pastoral care” from this image. It is good to be taken care of when we need care. It is not so good if we rely on such care when we could be taking care of ourselves and others.

We could equally see the things listed as being offered by a Mother to her children, or by anyone who cares. It is what the image represents that is more important than the image itself.

The image of “The Lord is my shepherd” may imply we are sheep to be led and fed and kept safely in a shed. But life in all its fullness that Jesus spoke about is more than that. When Jesus said, “I am the Gate’, He wasn’t implying that we live in a gated community, safe and secure from the poor of the world.

Images of God are not statements of all God is. God is so much more than we can ever imagine. On this Mother’s Day, you may like to reflect on the Wisdom of God and the Spirit of God which in Hebrew Scripture are always feminine. In Isaiah 54:5 is the image of God being a husband to widows and deserted women. In Hosea God is likened to a mother.

We are invited to ponder how we see God and how that impacts on the way we live and behave towards God, others and ourselves.

Rev Julianne Parker