OH! WOW!!! Elli, I love that idea. I am not Catholic, so I am not a participant in praying to Jesus’ earthly mother, but I have often wondered if the impulse to pray to her was prompted by the true desire of the human heart to reach out to precious Holy Spirit, the One I love and Name my “Mama”.
Oh, and for the record, She has always looked “Like this picture” to me…She has always had beautiful dark skin, eyes and hair, but also somehow summating every skin color and ethnicity. She has NEVER been “white”, except for certain hints of celtic type appearance.
I have never read the book called “The Shack”, and thus the author’s depiction of God in such a way as to resemble my Mama is entirely Her doing. Elli…you need to go to Proverbs 8 and read about Her…it is clearly Holy Spirit speaking, as it could be None Other. Then…after you read that, back up a chapter and read of the crafty harlot, and understand it as the personification of all that opposes Mama: Foolishness. And foolishness is all the things that snare, thoughts, desires, and deposit the victims of such indulgences in “hell”, which I perceive to be anywhere other than with Them. And then read chapter 8 over again…
…and then at last read chapter 9. It is the mash-up of 7 and 8 into one.
I read these 3 chapters over and over and over…they are like elevators that I have not plumbed the heights nor depths of. And they never stop at the same floor twice, or if they do, well then the decor is different. And when you get off on a floor, you can walk horizontally as far as you wish to apply your will and thought.
I love the picture of the cross resident in this metaphor: and it shows us why a cross, and not a guillotine or arrow or whatever other way…God controls the vertical…and we control the horizontal. God initiates the vertical…and we must apply in the horizontal realm…
…yeah, They extend to us grace, and we? We are called to emulate Them, empowered by Their kindness and compassion and love…and do the same to other humans, taking up our “own cross”…and being willing to die for their ignorances, their hatreds of us, their grudges and lack of feeling and forgiveness…yeah, even the radfems (ouch!) and the far right zealots.
Charissa's Grace Notes 
Such a beautiful and serene depiction. I would find that very comforting and moving on a stained-glass window…
OH! WOW!!! Elli, I love that idea. I am not Catholic, so I am not a participant in praying to Jesus’ earthly mother, but I have often wondered if the impulse to pray to her was prompted by the true desire of the human heart to reach out to precious Holy Spirit, the One I love and Name my “Mama”.
Oh, and for the record, She has always looked “Like this picture” to me…She has always had beautiful dark skin, eyes and hair, but also somehow summating every skin color and ethnicity. She has NEVER been “white”, except for certain hints of celtic type appearance.
I have never read the book called “The Shack”, and thus the author’s depiction of God in such a way as to resemble my Mama is entirely Her doing. Elli…you need to go to Proverbs 8 and read about Her…it is clearly Holy Spirit speaking, as it could be None Other. Then…after you read that, back up a chapter and read of the crafty harlot, and understand it as the personification of all that opposes Mama: Foolishness. And foolishness is all the things that snare, thoughts, desires, and deposit the victims of such indulgences in “hell”, which I perceive to be anywhere other than with Them. And then read chapter 8 over again…
…and then at last read chapter 9. It is the mash-up of 7 and 8 into one.
I read these 3 chapters over and over and over…they are like elevators that I have not plumbed the heights nor depths of. And they never stop at the same floor twice, or if they do, well then the decor is different. And when you get off on a floor, you can walk horizontally as far as you wish to apply your will and thought.
I love the picture of the cross resident in this metaphor: and it shows us why a cross, and not a guillotine or arrow or whatever other way…God controls the vertical…and we control the horizontal. God initiates the vertical…and we must apply in the horizontal realm…
…yeah, They extend to us grace, and we? We are called to emulate Them, empowered by Their kindness and compassion and love…and do the same to other humans, taking up our “own cross”…and being willing to die for their ignorances, their hatreds of us, their grudges and lack of feeling and forgiveness…yeah, even the radfems (ouch!) and the far right zealots.
And there She is…