The Bible has many images for God. God is the lord of armies, the king of kings and Lord of Lords, the almighty, the creator of all that is, the holy one, the ancient of days. None of those titles are very endearing. They keep God at a distance, so far above us as to make any connection seem impossible. Over time, as Israel interacts with God, other more intimate terms are applied. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — the one who enters into a particular relationship with the chosen people. The Prophet Isaiah has a image of God as mother. Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. Jesus referred to God as Father. In fact, he faced opposition because he called God his own father. St. Paul, while confessing Jesus as the Lord also claims him as “the firstborn of many brothers.” The quick survey of the Bible challenges us to take a similar journey an move from reverencing God as far above us to having a personal relationship to someone who is with us. Asa famous poem by W.H. Auden puts it: What reverence is rightly paid/To a Divinity so odd/He lets the Adam whom He made/Perform the Acts of God?
