“As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother. We were created by the motherhood of love.” Julian of Norwich (14th century visionary and theologian)
Many of us received tender, loving care from our mothers – even though at times they got angry and exasperated and exhausted and failed to understand our needs. Probably some of us had mothers who were too wounded themselves to be reliably kind or caring to a needy child. Some of us found another mother of whatever gender along the way, who cared for us as our first mother could not.
Mother’s Day can be a painful day if we had mothers who failed us, if we mourn a daughter or son who has died, or if we grieve our inability to bear a child. For those of us whose mothers failed us, Julian doesn’t say that God is present in every mother’s action, but in the action of every kind and loving mother. Whether your mother showed you the loving face of God or not, God’s mothering love is there for you.
This message is excerpted from “The motherhood of God” by Elaine Julian Ramshaw in the May 2021 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Julian of Norwich, renewer of the church, c. 1416.
This Mother’s Day, remember or honor your mother or a mother-figure in your life with a gift to 2122: Growing Katie’s Fund for the next 100 years. Make that gift this month and it will be matched, up to $25,000, through a generous gift of Barbara Thistle. Learn more.
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