I first started thinking about this during my last few years at Wildwood when a certain Seminary graduate basically said that since she couldn't have kids to honor her, then it was wrong for church to have Mother's Day services because this offended her. Even though I still believe that her claims were self serving, I saw that she was saying something that others also felt but did not speak up out of love for the congregation. So, I see two sides to this with neither side being wrong. So, my problem was, what do you do.
We know that is not wrong to celebrate mothers after reading Proverbs 31:28 which says this: "Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also praises her".
I think that we should use both Mother's day as well as Father's Day to honor those people who have been there loving us and guiding us regardless if they are our biological parents or not. If our own kids have turned against us or if we cannot have kids, we can still be there for others and love them just as we would our own. We also need to make the celebration of those who have shown the parental love for us (C. S. Lewis calls this type of love "storge" and can be shown to us by anyone) personable and try not to make those who are weak to hurt and to push them away from God.
Here are some words to remind us of our Creator's motherly love for us, which complements his fatherly characteristics. All can take comfort in the wellspring of his loving kindness.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 66:13
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 49:15-16 Good News Bible
“Can a woman forget her own baby, and not love the child she bore?
Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you.
Jerusalem, I can never forget you!
I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”
Luke 13:34
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”
Isaiah 40:1-2
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned.”
Psalm 131:1-2
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”