It seems to me that all humanity cries out for a spirit of motherly comfort and tender mercies at troubled times. In our present world wars and conflict seem to be a part of life. We blame and argue about causes. We see "causes" for human conflict all around, "flags" about religions, politics, whether certain leaders are to blame. I posit that the dynamics of conflict resolution need the lost Mother God's Holy Spirit ministry.
Thomas L. Friedman wrote a New York Times article regarding "tribes with flags" [i] . He notes that there are two types of Arab nation-states currently in revolutions which he roughly divides into "real countries" and "tribes with flags".
"Real countries" have long histories, (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Iran). The other "tribes with flags" are the tribes and sects who are more or less "trapped" inside artificial borders of the states made by colonial powers. These tribes and sects have "never volunteered to live together [ii] " and thus are not a "unified family of citizens". The "Real Countries" may reach a measure of internal unity, perhaps democratization, in their fight against "dictator dad", whereas the others will have a harder time ousting "dictator dad" to become a unified citizenry.
I do not believe this is JUST about ousting dictator dads, anymore than families solve basic human problems just by ousting Dad. Families and tribes may exist for a period of time with forced dictatorial rule, but rebellions come. It is about the loss of "mother influence" and too much testosterone!
One common theme among these Mideast state/tribal conflicts is that they are not just flying tribal flags, they are also flying religious flags. The other common theme is that the countries have "bad attitudes" towards women, Mothers notwithstanding! (That may be my understatement of the year!)
The flags that fly now are not "family friendly" as a rule, they are strictly based on a Father. What a lop-sided spiritual base we've been limping along with.
Unfortunately, that reconciling feminine Spirit of Wisdom has been lost or secreted away. She was stripped down, bound and gagged.
HOW? The translations lost Mother! She was lost primarily by careless, erroneous, or purposeful translations stripping or changing words referencing gender of the Holy Spirit and Her ministry. Male theologians have not chosen to reveal what they knew, when, or IF they knew it. Fragments of texts, scrolls, and supporting materials are now revealing Her presence and ministry. Those old translations formed the basis underlying most of the warring religions. Could She have made a difference? Could She yet, especially with the young and educated citizenry who can help unearth the buried "Mother"?
I reference here the loss of the feminine "Holy Spirit" of Genesis, Exodus, the old testament Tanuch, Torah, ("Ruach Ha Kodesh" and "Ruach Huach Elohim". "She" was really lost to us in the Greek translations of the New Testament. [i]
I have been involved in reconciling numerous and diverse family dynamics as a Mother, and later, as a tribal and general attorney working with the dynamics of individual and governance issues. I worked with a successful and ancient matrilineal confederacy, (The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.) In these roles I have had both the practical, hands-on diaper-changing experiences, and the mediating among competing tribal governance issues, drafting the same into reconciled law, (Ethno-Jurisprudence).
I have concluded that all humanity "needs "the Spirit of a "Motherly God" for "better life-ways and law-ways", to live in a civilized manner alone, or in a civilized world together. The need for mother type love and tending transcends all the "flags" of religions, nationality, boundaries, ages and gender. It is time to let her whisper "LIFE" into our beings AGAIN!
[i] Is the Holy Spirit masculine or feminine? By Rabbi Simon Altaf at
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