The Months of July and August

Dear Saints,

Did you ever wonder why sometimes, in church, we speak of God the Parent and not always of God the Father? In part one of this article, which can be found in last month’s St Mary’s Magazine, we explored the need for inclusive language in Church in general and in liturgy in particular. We discovered that language and also biblical and liturgical language, is more than just a means of communication and can be a force behind an ideology for example patriarchy in this context. Patriarchy is a system that positions men as a dominant group and as able to marginalise and exploit women.

What does that have to do with Biblical and liturgical language? Are these texts patriarchal, and does that contradict our belief in God, who, through Christ, commands us to love God and love each other? In part one of this reflection, one of my final comments was that “inclusive language in our liturgy that breaks with patriarchy can be used to express the image of God in its fullness.” Being made in the image of God has a broader biblical witness than just the creation narrative, as read in Genesis 1 and 2. In linking the story of creation with salvation history as revealed in Christ through baptism into his death and resurrection, and him sending the Holy Spirit and us receiving the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to become children of God, we broaden and deepen our understanding of the meaning and purpose of people being God’s image bearers.

Being God’s image bearers is central to our identity as individuals and as a Christian community. The image of God is multi-layered:

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  · Imago Dei: because of their creation in the image of God, women and men are equal bearers of God’s image.
  
• · Imago Christi: on the basis of salvation in Christ, who is the perfect image of the invisible God, women and men are equal bearers of the image of God.
  
  
• · Imago Spiritus: on the basis of Pentecost, when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to be children of God, women and men are equal bearers of the image of God.
  Imago Dei – “So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

We see that Adam and Eve are created in God’s image and given equal responsibility for the stewardship of creation. Both embody the fundamental qualities and abilities of being human while at the same time having the added dimensions of sex and gender. Biological differences do not necessitate substantial functional distinctions. Also, God gives both Adam and Eve to “rule” over the other living creatures, but Adam is not commanded to rule over Eve.

Genesis 2 provides more details about the relationship between Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2:18, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The word translated as “helper” is “ezer”, which comes from Hebrew root words meaning strength and power. The word translated as “suitable” is “kenegdo”, which means facing, corresponding, or equal to. In English, “helper” suggests an assistant or subordinate, but Hebrew doesn’t carry that connotation.

Nothing in the narratives of Genesis 1 and 2 supports the idea that Adam is given priority or authority over Eve at creation. The first mention of any kind of power dynamic between the man and the woman occurs in Genesis 3 after sin enters the picture. The imbalance of power introduced into the relationship impairs their ability to accurately reflect God’s image.

Some would say that this new power imbalance is consistent with God’s desire for how men and women should relate today – that because of what happened in the garden, women are meant to be under the authority of men. Like every other consequence of the fall, the statement in 3:16 that “he shall rule over you” describes what will be, not what should be.

Imago Christi – “So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28).

The redeeming work of Jesus on the cross reverses the effects of the Fall. Jesus ushers in a new covenant under which believers have a new identity – that of being “in Christ”. When Paul states that “there is no longer male and female, for you are all one in Christ”, he leaves no room for debate. It is significant that the wording “male and female” does not match the previous pairings of “Jew nor gentile” and “slave nor free”. The reference to “male and female” is an exact quotation from the Greek Old Testament reference to God creating humankind in God’s image “male and female” (Genesis 1:27). Paul’s repudiation of this fundamental creation distinction in Christ clearly points to the new creation breaking barriers between man and woman. Like every other passage about the new creation, it refers to the transformation of life, not just spiritual status.

Imago Spiritus – “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

The Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers at Pentecost. The Spirit works in the lives of all believers, the gifts of the Spirit are given to all believers, and all believers are expected to use those gifts for the good of the Church. The coming of the Holy Spirit adds a new dimension to our identity as image-bearers of God. Paul’s reference to being “clothed” (enduo) in Christ is similar to a statement Jesus makes at the end of Luke’s gospel.

This “clothing” of the Spirit enables us to live together as the New Creation, no longer divided along gender, racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic lines. As the story progresses from creation to redemption to Pentecost, we see that men and women are equally created in the image of God, equally restored in Christ, and equally empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In our community of faith, there should be no space for patriarchy. One could even argue that patriarchy is a sin, and with that, patriarchal manipulation of language in God's talk is a sin. I would rather say that inclusive language in our liturgy that breaks with patriarchy can be used to express the image of God in its fullness. God is so much more than just a male gender/father figure. It can be so liberating and empowering to explore God’s full image, of which we, women and men, are privileged to be the bearers in this world. Let us recognize this in each other and continue to explore how our language in liturgy can reflect God’s greatness.

Yours in Christ as always,

Jacque