It occured to me recently that perhaps there is something deeper to the metaphor of God the Father. Why not God the Mother?
(Of course, Catholics have Mary as a Mother figure but Mary is not God.)
(Edited)
So why Father and not Mother? Our relationship with our biological father and mother are generally very different. The father figure is an authority while the mother is nurturing. Both care in their own way but a father are far more likely to exhibit “tough love” than a mother.
It’s also interesting because babies generally bond first with the mother and only later to the father who, after all, doesn’t provide any tasty nutitiion. Fathers, in turn, tend to be more standoffish and reserved in their affection for children.
So what does all this imply in our relationship with God? And how does Jesus, the “Son” of God, fit into the equation?
