On being mothered by the One who mothers us all
The mirroring gaze: the gaze of the delight of baby and mother at her breast is the beginning of our capacity for intimate relationship. We spend the rest of our lives hoping for that moment again. That kind of safety. That kind of security. That kind of feeding. That kind of living inside of one world where we are treasured and loved. Perhaps the most perfect image of this we can find is the Madonna with the baby Jesus—one of the most common paintings found in western art museums. According to the famous psychiatrist, Carl Young, we paint the images our soul needs to see.
-Richard Rohr-
If you are reading this, you have been brought into this world by a mother. Some have been more suited to the task of mothering than others in their ability to care and nurture, while others have not been taught well.
Some have pursued inner spiritual growth and healing as adults, while some have remained children in aging bodies.
Some of you have a mother to celebrate today, while some may have been orphaned by death or a hard heart or abandonment.
Either way, the one who was given the sacred task of bringing you into the world, while holy; she is not whole.
She is not, cannot be, the sacred Mother our soul is known by and knows (יְדֲע yada). There is only one of those, and She goes by different names.
Some call her the Holy Spirit, others; Divine/Holy Wisdom, Shekina, or, Sophia (Ἁγία Σοφία Hagía).
“Yet, to this day, she remains mysterious, elusive and many have not heard of her.”
Scripture informs us that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is a gender-neutral term; and yet Jesus gave us metaphors for a father--and not an old, violent, authoritarian father--but an Abba (pappa). A parent who calls us beloved.
Were we given just one parent?
Scripture reveals to us that the Greek word for spirit, paraclete, is also gender neutral. Yet, in the Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, the Spirit of Yahweh was referred to in the feminine, rucha, or ruach. Thus, Jesus gave us metaphors for a mother as well..." but Wisdom is proved right by all Her children."
Mother of us all.
Markios, an Egyptian monk who lived in c300-390, picks up on this and repeatedly stressed that just as there is no human birth without a mother, there is also no spiritual birth without the Holy Spirit. When humanity is born anew in the Spirit, they become children of the Spirit, who is their Mother.
Mother of us all.
Solomon loved Her and asked Her to rule with him.
Mother of us all
The emperor Justinian built his masterpiece for Her, the ‘Hagia Sophia.’
Mother of us all
In Jerusalem, crusaders erected their church in Her honor, the ‘Church of Holy Wisdom;’ and Bulgaria named its capital for Her, Sofia.
Mother of us all
The Jews wrote a vast wisdom literature about Her. The Catholic Church canonized the Book of Wisdom about Her in the Old Testament. The Orthodox liturgy calls upon Her before each gospel is read aloud, “Sofia!”
Who are you, Spirit, Wisdom, Shekina, Sophia?
Sophia is the Greek word for Wisdom. She appears in the Old and New Testaments as a mother, a bride, and a child. She is present at creation. Scripture calls her divine, eternal, and all-powerful. She is everywhere present and knows all things. She is available to all, and She will blow into the hearts of anyone who listens to Her voice.
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
-Proverbs 8:17-
For thousands of years, she has been studied, sought after, honored, and called upon. By Her, kings and queens reign and princes and princess’s rule. Who is this glorious enigma, hidden in plain sight? Who is this resounding whisper, echoing throughout the world, across millennia?”
“I am who I am”
Can we say with certainty that is the exact image of the divine we worship? Quite certainly it is nothing more than a mere glimpse of a much fuller and more beautiful picture.
Since raw holiness would destroy a person, Yahweh condescends to show, as it were, only that of Yahweh that we fragmentary humans can bear, comprehend and assimilate.
-Walter Wink-
For those who are grasping some of these fragmentary pieces today, hear this:
If we deny our Mother, we know little of our Father. They are One.
Children, honor your Father and your Mother.
Pastors, do not hide Her from your people.
Do not write Her off or call her names:
Liberal snowflake, Jezebel, radical socialist feminist.
She is a breath of the power of Yahweh and a reflection of eternal light.
She teaches justice and courage;
Yahweh loves nothing so much as the person who lives with Her.
Look for Her and you will find her.
She will dwell in you richly;
She will guide you home within you.
Wisdom of Solomon 7:24-28
For Wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of Her pureness, She pervades and penetrates all things. For She is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into Her. For She is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. Although She is but one, She can do all things, and while remaining in Herself, She renews all things; in every generation, She passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God, and prophets; for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with Wisdom.
References
Weber, Neil Anthony, Who is Sophia, Getting to Know the Spirit of Wisdom in 50 Days p. 9-10
Homilies of Symeon of Mesopotamia, Hom 8,1; Klosermann 1961:37
Luke 7:33-35, Wisdom of Solomon 7:22-8:13
Rohr, Richard, A Well Within Us: A year of daily meditations
Photo of Madonna and child--artist unknown. Found here: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/397653842080615247/
Calling
In my upcoming course, Calling, I take you on a journey through the grand narrative of Scripture from Creation, Fall, Redemption to Restoration, based on the work of some of the most respected biblical scholars today. In the module Restoration, I unpack much more on the concept and role of the Holy Spirit/Wisdom/Sophia for the mission of the Church today. Sign up for my newsletter to receive these posts in your inbox and be the first to hear about the launch of Calling in 2023.