Metaphors to reflect understandings of the One who is beyond description. So many ways, so many words. Some embrace but a few, others like myself embrace many. For some certain ones cause pain while others cause joy. Some can relate to a great many and others to but a few. So which ones do we use in public settings and why?
In recent times there has been an emphasis to use non gender or a mix of gendered terms when referring to the Eternal One in English. (perhaps similar discussions take place in other languages as well). Some rebel against this and use predominately a single gender to emphasis their view, while others may use a single gender but do so in ways that do not attempt to “prove a point”. It always causes me to cringe when I hear someone in prayer at the end of every sentence or phrase within a prayer say a particular metaphorical name, regardless of the name they use. When they speak to a friend, a relative, a stranger do they say that person’s name after every phrase? If not why do they feel the need to say a name so often when speaking to the Eternal One? Do they assume it is need to keep the One’s attention? Is it just how they learned to pray? Or, are they doing it to try and prove a point, to emphasis this is the name or set of names everyone should use to refer to the One? I think the second may be true for some, and the third is true for several when it is done in places where it is know different people use different language to refer to the One.
Personally I feel a person should use language hat has meaning to them regardless of gender, but should also be sensitive of those to whom will be hearing or reading what they are saying. Thus if the only language that one has to relate is feminine in nature that is the language they should use, however if they have a larger vocabulary and are in a setting where they know or think that some may have difficulty relating to masculine or feminine language they should try and use their language which is gendered neutral.
When I was in undergrad there were some debates, some painful arguments… that took place regarding this issue. I am sad to say that in part at times I was a part of those arguments and was both harmed and harmed others in some of these encounters, even though I embraced an understanding similar if not the same as what I presented above. I also found some things interesting. For example some who were strong to emphasis the avoidance of gendered language seemed to have exceptions, depending on the person they freely used gendered words such as God, Lord, and various words with male or female endings (granted the male and female endings do not seem as gendered except when the female form is created by adding to the male form rather than to the root word to many). One place where I found this interesting was at my Baccalaureate service. Do to various reasons the day of there was a change in the schedule and I stepped in to give the benediction rather than the person scheduled. During the service one of the people who encouraged people to use non-gendered language used “Lord” several time in a payer. In the benediction which I gave the only gendered word relating to deity was in the closing which was probably my typically closing in public prayer along the lines of “In your Son’s most Holy name Amen.” This is typical of my public prayer, without thinking about it I tend to use non-gendered language, except in the closing where I refer to Jesus the Christ. While Christ may be beyond gender when speaking particularly about the expression of Christ as found in Jesus the son of Mary and Joseph it is hard to deny gender… While I had no problem with any of the prayers, I did at the time, and still do find that interesting.
Why has this discussion come up? Well my homiletics course. The class has been split into to sections, within my section 6 people have given sermons so far with myself being the only male to go thus far. In two of the sermons given by females, females in the class commented on the use of male gendered pronouns used to refer to the Eternal One. The second time was interesting as the person who made the comment is the one who the comment had been made to the week before, and she did mention part of the reason was due to it benign brought up the week before in regards to her. In part I found this interesting, though upon realizing I was the only male that had gone and my seldom use of gendered language, even the typically accepted language of God and male ended words (though occasionally they do slip in), it seemed a tad less interesting. Next week when at least two of the three are male that will preach we will see if it becomes interesting again or not. If it does, the questions upon my mind will be “What does it mean if a person tends to use language for the divine that is of the opposite gender than them and that people of the same gender as the speaker/writer comment on it while those of the gender being used do not comment?” and “If the language had been of the same gendered as the speaker would a person of that gender raise comments about it? Would someone of the opposite gender?… If so or not why and what does that mean?”
Ah the things that run through my mind (and yes I know earlier today I said this would come out next week… but I felt like writing it as I listened to the lecture and discussion in “Mythology and Morality” today… (and the conversation was interesting at times to, which makes no sense of how I could focus on both that and this at the same time, but somehow I have thus far done so.)
Peace be with you,
— Lyle II