My 6-year-old daughter asked my wife and I about God the other day. She wanted to know if God was a boy or a girl. An interesting and intellectual question considering that almost all references of God are in the male form: God the Father, He, Father-Son-and-Holy Ghost, etc.
This proved a problematic question for my wife and I as we don’t see God in those terms exactly. In my early days, I would have held strong to my Baptist roots and scoffed at anyone who tried to turn God into some kind of liberal transsexual. Don’t tranny my God thank you very much. Life has a funny way of opening life and allowing different perspectives into one’s world view.
Such is the way with me. I have come to see God beyond the labels of our existence. That is to say that I no longer see God as a man. My thoughts and my understanding of God allow me to view the Almighty in a frame of mind that is without the constraints of sexuality. I tend to understand God as portraying both male and female characteristics.
That is not a hard concept for me to grasp. I don’t not struggle with that understanding nor does it shake the foundations of my faith. I do not see that perspective as liberal, but as an educated understanding of God. It doesn’t change anything. The issue comes in how to explain this male-female business in a meaningful way to a 6-year-old, without confusing or boring her to the point of never asking me questions again – which is something that grown-ups tend to do to children, either to avoid the question or just to quiet them. I am not content with pushing her questions aside and I am not willing to redirect her because of some prideful incompetence.
Rather than try to explain that God is not male or female, I told her that I think God is both. That seems easier for a child to grasp and still remain true to the higher truth as I see it. To follow that up, we told her we would ask our preacher. That Sunday we approached him and we explained that she had a question. She was too shy to ask on her own, so we asked for her. He told her that God is both. She seemed happy with the answer and hasn’t asked any follow-up questions since. For now, we are content with it and we are more prepared to answer the question later if it comes up again.
This proved a problematic question for my wife and I as we don’t see God in those terms exactly. In my early days, I would have held strong to my Baptist roots and scoffed at anyone who tried to turn God into some kind of liberal transsexual. Don’t tranny my God thank you very much. Life has a funny way of opening life and allowing different perspectives into one’s world view.
Such is the way with me. I have come to see God beyond the labels of our existence. That is to say that I no longer see God as a man. My thoughts and my understanding of God allow me to view the Almighty in a frame of mind that is without the constraints of sexuality. I tend to understand God as portraying both male and female characteristics.
That is not a hard concept for me to grasp. I don’t not struggle with that understanding nor does it shake the foundations of my faith. I do not see that perspective as liberal, but as an educated understanding of God. It doesn’t change anything. The issue comes in how to explain this male-female business in a meaningful way to a 6-year-old, without confusing or boring her to the point of never asking me questions again – which is something that grown-ups tend to do to children, either to avoid the question or just to quiet them. I am not content with pushing her questions aside and I am not willing to redirect her because of some prideful incompetence.
Rather than try to explain that God is not male or female, I told her that I think God is both. That seems easier for a child to grasp and still remain true to the higher truth as I see it. To follow that up, we told her we would ask our preacher. That Sunday we approached him and we explained that she had a question. She was too shy to ask on her own, so we asked for her. He told her that God is both. She seemed happy with the answer and hasn’t asked any follow-up questions since. For now, we are content with it and we are more prepared to answer the question later if it comes up again.
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5 comments:
Chris,
Check out this link. http://www.gospeltrail.com/Study/God/elshaddai.htm
El Shaddai is one of the names of God. It literally means the Breasty One- who provides sufficiently for his people as a mother provides for her baby.
God create Man (general term meaning humanity) in His Image both male and female. God is both but I would not call Him a Hermaphrodite. Since God is Spirit, He has no sexual organs.
Larry
I think you did an excellent job with this situation, Chris. Your daughter is a lucky girl to have parents who are as thoughtful as you are. And isn't it great to know, as being a parent is a difficult and often vexing job, that you do get it right. I'm glad to hear your minister was also so open minded and helpful.
God bless the Christians who use their frontal cortex. May they be fruitful and multiply. Amen.
Hmmm...many names for God. I got one for you .... We give a gender to the earth which has both masculine and feminine characteristics. Perhaps God is the same - defined in masculine but much larger...
Branson Missouri
My two cents worth? I think that we try to confine God in our own primitive and limited ways by implying that the Lord could be both male and female. None of us can even begin to understand Who God is, until we stand before our Creator one day and then everything will be revealed. God is God...let's just leave it at that. It is way beyond our puny brains to comprehend anything else.
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