How come we always refer to God as Father? Why don’t we speak about him equally as mother or parent? These are questions that people ask and the answers are not as difficult as the questions seem. Our faith makes it clear - God transcends both male and female; he is neither one nor the other. Language about God can only describe, not define who God is. God is too big for us, too much more than we can imagine. And yet, we have to talk about God.

When Jesus came and walked among us, he could have chosen many different images for God, but he chose one above all others that best described who God really is - Father. Sure, Jesus used other images for God - a mother hen, a poor widow, etc. But there is only one image that he used consistently and it changed the way people thought about God. He called God "Father." And what he meant by that is rather easy to figure out. God as Father is Lord of all, Creator of everything that is. Authority personified. Tenderness made visible. All the characteristics that we most often associate with fathers, Jesus used to describe God. Calling God "Father" doesn’t mean that’s all we can say about God. It just means "Father" is the main image for God, the one Jesus used. Can we use other images for God? Sure. But the one image we can never do without is "Abba," that’s Hebrew for "Father" or "Daddy." It is Jesus’ word, given to us by the eternal Son of the everlasting Father.