It's a Girl! Or is it?

Personally, I don't struggle with this issue, but I know many who do. Language can be a tremendous stumbling block, and when we read the Bible in English and make believe that it was actually written in English, we do ourselves, and ultimately God, a great injustice.

So, is God a girl or a boy? The answer, of course, is 'yes'.

Last year while I was on a mission trip, I encountered a group of people who had a rather prominent influence on my missionaries (or who were in a position to have a prominent influence, but probably didn't really) who were vehemently arguing against the role of women as teachers and/or pastors. Despite the irony (One of the people arguing against it was the main teacher of the group - and is a girl), they were spouting all sorts of references from scripture that included gender specific verbiage - in English. While I cannot say for sure as I stayed out of the conversation, I can safely assume that none were able to translate ancient Greek or Hebrew, and therefor really only know what other translators have said, and not necessarily what was actually written. Oh what a tangled web we weave when the bible in Greek we do not read....

Perhaps I said that wrong, but you get my point. One of my professors, the brilliant Rev. Dr. Nesbitt of Dubuque Theological Seminary, posted a small lesson and poem on just this topic, and I thought I'd share. He can say it much better than I...

"I think it would be worthwhile to take a moment to discuss gender and faith, since that is one of the more pernicious issues raised in discussions this week.  Our problem as human beings is that we struggle to keep our anthropomorphic tendencies in language separated from the very reality of the divine nature.  God is not a sexual being and, as such, we cannot say that God "is" a he anymore than we can say the divine one is a she.  All language for God is allegorical.
Indeed, much of scripture is gender-specific in language.  But I think it appropriate to translate, for example, Paul's comments to his "brothers" as "brothers and sisters" because the spirit behind the archaic formulations of language clearly shows that he was speaking to both men and women.
But didn't Jesus call God "Father?"  Yes, and no.  Although it is usually translated as such, "Abba" does not really mean "Father."  It is rendered that way because too many humans are nervous about saying what Jesus actually said:  "daddy" or even "dada."  The purpose of the diminutive expression was not to indicate a gender for God, but a relationship; it is a relationship of absolute intimacy and trust.  Therefore, it would be more appropriate for us to say the Lord's prayer like this, "Our dada, who is in heaven. . . ."
On a different but related topic, you may be shocked to learn that translators have had a long tradition of "softening" not only certain concepts that people might be uncomfortable hearing, but also potentially offensive and earthy language in the Bible.  That which Paul refers to as "filthy rags?"  When King Saul retreats to a cave in order to relieve himself?  The "dirt" that seeps out of King Eglon's gut when he is stabbed?  These are just a few places where translators chose more "socially appropriate" terms than the raw language employed/implied by the ancient writers.  But I digress. . . .
A person I know once argued with me that the Holy Spirit is referenced in male terms in the chapters of John.  True, but here's the kicker:  the Hebrew word for "Spirit" in the Old Testament is feminine.  Always.  While in Greek, there are two words for "Spirit."  "Parakletos," which is masculine, and "pneuma," which is gender neutral.  As such, based on which passage one turns to, it could be appropriate to say "he" or "she" when speaking of the Holy Spirit.
To really blow your mind on gender and divinity, do a little research on "Sophia" (wisdom) as personified in the Old Testament, and as perceived by the earliest Christians.  There were some in ancient times who believed that "she" was the pre-incarnate Christ.
.....
In conclusion, lack of originality by others does not mean politically correct language is wrong. . . only that we haven't caught the knack of it.  I offer the following poem for your consideration.  "

Who Is This One?  By S. A. Nesbitt

I kneel to pray, prepared to utter the old, familiar phrases.But a sudden and profound awareness overcomes me. I cannot speak.Who is this One I so often entreat?
I AM. Almighty Lord. Wonderful Counselor. Ancient of Days. Prince of Peace.
Who is this One I so often entreat?No single term or phrase seems adequate.With every breath, a different truth reverberates in my heart.
Redeemer. Burden Carrier. Renewer. Path Layer. Saviour.
The heavens proclaim Thy glories!The seas declare Thy majesty!
Storm Calmer. Master of Wind. Thunderer. Sparker of Fire. Omnipotent Spirit.
Hallowed be Thy name!Thy kingdom come! Thy will be done!
Abba. Holy of Holies. Lord Sabaoth. Everlasting Father. King of Kings.
Humbled by holy mysteries, I dare not speak.Who is this One I so often entreat?Empowered by awe and intimacy, I cannot keep silent!
Trusted One. Tear Blotter. Friend. Comforter. Thirst Quencher.
Who is this One I so often entreat?Who dazzles the eye and enchants the ear?Who delights the eager heart?
Weaver. Painter. Artist. Conductor. Musician.
Like a baby in its mother's embrace, I sense strong arms around me.Who is this One I so often entreat?Who is this One who gave me life, and to whom I shall return?
Life Giver. Binder of Wounds. Kisser of Hurt. Protector. Hand Holder.
Who is this One I so often entreat?Who moves my clay and leaden feet?
Choreographer. Shoulder Tapper. Nudger. Gentle Power. Whisperer.
God.

Well said, Dr. Nesbitt.

So, call God whatever you want. If you read my last post on God's Name, you'll know you probably won't get that pronunciation right either. Call him want you want, just call him often.

Peace.

Hello, my name is: IS

But it isn't really, is it? Truth be told, it is what we call him (or her, or it - a discussion for another article elsewhere and at another time). It really isn't his name at all. That's a strange thing, but the very name of God tells a lot about who he is, and our understanding of the nature of the divine.

As humans, we like to label things. It is in our very DNA to do so, and bible scholars may point all the way back to Adam and his necessity to name all of the living creatures of the world. Psychoanalysts might call it something of a control issue - we label and name everything that's we encounter. Gods have names. Gods are things, and we name things. Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu, Zeus, Hades....these names are instantly recognizable as names of gods from one religion or another, but not ours.

We have tried to label him: Yahweh, Jehovah.... But these are our own frail attempts. One attempt provides clues into just what I am getting at: LORD

Before we get to that little tidbit, let's look at our own name. We have our first name, our familiar name if you will. Some of us have a middle name, often weighted down with some embarrassing baggage left over from a long gone relative. And then we have our last name, called our family name or surname, which tells the reader where we come from and where we belong, or should belong. Some names provide into our family group, such as Irish surnames like O'Brien, which literally means "from Brien" or "Of Brien". Some provide clues as to the profession of the bearer's ancestors. My descendants were part of the Miller surname, so one can rightfully assume that there was a business of milling in my history. The knowledge of this is long gone now, but it is there somewhere, in each listing of our last name on a piece of paper. Generations of Shoemakers, Smiths, Farmers and Millers have come and gone without ever having done the profession, their name the only link to a lost art. In some places the order by which we list these names changes, but the meaning is largely the same.

Ancient near eastern cultures were part of the early stages of this primitive, but effective labeling system. Jesus didn't have a last name. (It was not "Christ", nor did he possess a middle name that began with the letter "H", though I do sometimes imagine if he did it would be something embarrassing, like "Horatio"). We see instead that Jesus is named according to where he grew up - Jesus of Nazareth. Had he been Irish, it may have been Jesus O'Nazareth. But I digress.....

And here we see the miraculous birth of Jesus O'Nazareth....

Names are important. They tell us who we are and where we are from. In the Hebrew culture names were even more important. We see names in the bible change, such as Abram to Abraham. Jacob became Israel and fathered a nation. Adam literally means "dirt man" or "earth man" in honor of where he came from. In the ancient Hebrew tradition, and Hebrew names to this day, are intentionally chosen and say a great deal about the individual. These are not names that are chosen because they are trendy or sound cool, but explanatory monikers that tell you everything about the bearer. Now back to God, who's name, or lack thereof, tells us everything.

Lord, spelled as capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, with the last three letters slightly smaller than the first, is not the same as the word "lord" for which we are so familiar - and it should not be spelled "Lord" (Though we do it anyway). Go check one of your bibles.

Go ahead, I'll wait....

There is a reason we spell it as such in the bible - quite simply, it is the best we can do with the information we have.

In the book of Genesis, a man tending his flock in the desert encounters a bush that is on fire, but does not burn. He is curious, goes to check it out, and he encounters God. It is God with a capital G.

God asks the man, called Moses (or Moshe, if we are striving for accuracy here), to perform a task that will require him to act in God's place, as his messenger. Moses will need to introduce himself, and he knows that during the course of this task, people will ask him who have him the authority to make the demands that he is about to make. They are some big demands - the type that will alter history - and so it is not unreasonable for these people to ask who handed down these demands to Moses. And it is not unreasonable for Moses to ask the common question - "Whom shall I say is calling?"

And God answers. But instead of a name like all the millions of other gods in the thousands of other religions, some of which Moses is well acquainted, God gives him something else. It is not a label. God does not provide him with a Joe, or a Steve - not even a tricky name like Amon-Ra. Nothing with hyphens, apostrophes or funky Swedish umlauts... He says that he is.

He is.

He simply, and yet at the same time impossibly, is.

(An image of an artifact found in a small cylindrical metal can in Jerusalem, near the dig sight where the Ark of the Covenant is believed to be…. Other similar tags were inscribed with “Moses”, “Aaron”, and a nearly unpronounceable ancient Hebrew script believed to say something like “Bill’s friend Steve from last year’s Passover party”)

The Hebrew text uses four letters, pronounced yod hey vod hey, which doesn't make any sense. It isn't a word at all. It is unpronounceable. When we match the Hebrew script to the corresponding English equivalent on a letter by letter basis, we get YHWH. Try saying that without adding any vowels. You sound pretty silly, don't you?

Or do you?

There are ancient Hebrew philosophers that will tell you that what you are hearing when you pronounce those letters is the sound of breath. In Hebrew, there is a name for the life-giving breath of all things - the “ruach.” it is the spirit, the soul.

So what did Moses hear? In the bible we are given a small diatribe of explanation - I am all that is, and all that ever will be. I am existence. I AM. But later in scripture we find that there is knowledge of a name, and so it is fair to make the assumption that Moses heard a name.

Was it YHWH? Did he hear the very breath of God?

Was Moses' experience simply the life giving breath of God? Perhaps Moses was opened up at the moment, exposed to the reality that this God had no name, that this God was simply everything. Everything that ever was and ever will be. Maybe is wasn't as much of a hearing as it was a full experience, a sensation. Have you ever tried to put into words a feeling? The incomparable high from the birthed a new child, the exasperating rush of adrenalin from a near brush with death...they are hard to explain. We hear people try, but until we have that experience our words, our labels, fall drastically short.

We write LORD as a pronounceable counterpart, using a familiar word that, at one time, referred to a ruler or king. But we denote the difference by putting it in all caps, as if we are yelling the very word. LORD is our label, our name for the unpronounceable.

Later in the Pentateuch we hear that the high priests of this god were to enter the temple and once a year they say his name. What did they say?

God could not give Moses an answer that would please Moses. Moses wanted a label that defined a package. A package that would tell the recipient all about the contents - where this god was from and what he was about.

Sorry. This god could not be packaged. God has no label because this god was something different - this god was not a creation of humans and therefor able to be labeled. This god is bigger than that, encompassing everything that is good. This god, for the first time and uniquely different from all other gods in all other religions, was existence itself. He had always existed and always will. There was no birth or death for this God - also unique. This God includes all those other gods. Think about that.

At that moment Moses' mind was blown. This explanation, one that we still struggle to grasp today, was brilliant.

He is.

And so, today we use the word "God" with a capital G. Because God is not a name, but a thing. Our god is the god because he is God.

He is. He is everything that ever was and everything that was before that. He is creation, life, and breath. And he is so much more.

Hello, my name is God. You can call me "is". You can call me LORD, Yahweh, Jehovah, or whatever you can pronounce, because your labels cannot change me for they are not me. I AM, and I always will be.