Who is God? Luke 22:31-32

Praying over the City in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

January 8, 2019

This, by far, was my favorite Christmas card. I received others I truly loved with wonderful updates, but this became my favorite because of the vast representations of our Creator. The global love. The unity of praise. People all over the planet, calling Him by a different name, but all calling out to the same God.

Some might disagree with me. That if I pray to ALLAH or any of the other references to God, then I cannot possibly be talking to the same God of Christianity. This makes no sense to me. If there is a Creator, a Devine Spirit of the Universe, do you really think He (or She) cares what we call Him (or Her)? This all Powerful and Mighty Savior created ALL these people, all over the globe, and loves us all equally. In my opinion, when someone on this planet calls out, He (or She) is there.

Recently a friend asked me about my references to God as also possibly female. She sees God as male and supported this through all the male references to God in the Bible. As you read through the paragraph above, maybe those references also bothered you. Recently, Greg Boyd, Lead Pastor and Biblical Scholar of Woodland Hills Church, did a sermon on this topic: https://whchurch.org/sermon/wheres-mommy/

Here’s my thought, God created us in His (or Her) image. All of us—women and men. God, therefore, must also posses’ feminine qualities. Frankly, I think God transcends all this worldly nonsense and anytime we attempt to put limits on God, we’ve just lost the Devine connection. He (She) is more than we can ever imagine or consider.

Regarding the male references in the Bible, we have lived in patriarchal societies since the first fearful and insecure man realized he could dominate and overpower women. This was never God’s intent. God did not tell Adam to lord over Eve. She was a partner. A helpmate, and after the fall, things changed. The Bible was written by and mostly read by men. They viewed these Spiritual matters through their vantage point and wrote what was customary at the time. They were limited by their perspective and God allowed it—as He (She) allows for our limits, loving and accepting us in the process too.

Why did Jesus come as a man? Plain and simple, had he entered the world 2,000 years ago as a woman, no one would have listened to him. One really needs to consider how horribly women have been treated for thousands of years to fully get this into perspective.

Do I know any of this for fact? No, absolutely not, but here’s the deal, you don’t either. There is so much we do not understand about God, the Spiritual realm, our purpose, the afterlife, the final days, and a whole host of things I cannot even enumerate. We are limited begins trying to comprehend an unlimited God. This is what I do know, anytime we limit or think we “know” stating our belief as some sort of cosmic fact, we’ve just lost grasp of the Devine. There are things we simply cannot “know”.

Recently I was reading through the book of Luke around the Last Supper (Chapter 22) and at 31 and 32 verse, I read this, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus chooses to tell Peter (Simon Peter) that Satan had “demanded permission” to sift you like wheat. I was taken aback by this, so I looked this up and it would be akin to the suffering that Satan asked God to allow him to evoke on Job in the Old Testament.

All of this raised many questions in my mind and probably in yours too. Satan asks God to “sift” people and God allows this potential Spiritual torture? How often does this happen? Why would God allow this? What else do God and Satan discuss? Why would Jesus even tell Peter this? Why was this important to add to the text? The list goes on and on…

This is the ONLY reason I bring any of this up, I have no idea the answer to any of the questions I just raised. None of us really do. We have holy books. We have Biblical scholars. We have a Spiritual connection, but in the end, only our Creator really knows. We simply do not know and will possibly never know the answers to these questions and more.

What I do know is Jesus is a man who lived on Earth who showed us a truly loving way to be. This is proven. He was a role model and a Spiritual guide. He claimed He was part of the Divinity. Since everything else He said came to pass, I believe Him. I also feel Him in my life. He dropped borders and wanted us to consider things in a brand new open, nonrestrictive way. He loved everyone. He accepted shame for His beliefs. He elevated women and children. He is the person I model my faith after. PERIOD.

When people are trying place limits on God, I generally reject them. He (She) is so BIG, so Mighty, so vast, so incredible that any of our earthy means to understand and label cannot fully apply.

Dearest Heavenly Father (Mother), there is so much we do not know and cannot grasp. Please simply know that we love you and we are open to learning more. Please keep our minds and hearts open to all your wondrous possibilities. In Your Mighty Name…

Please bring your prayer requests forward. You are loved.