Why does God reveal Himself to us as “Father”? Does God have a gender? The simple answer to the latter question is no. The more complete answer, including the former question, is far more interesting.
God is simultaneously fully masculine and fully feminine at the same time. Throughout the bible we see God referred to with masculine titles (Father, King, Lord) but He takes many feminine actions (birthing nations, being tender like a mother to her child, and so on). With the presence of both genders in the bible, why do we exclusively refer to God with masculine pronouns rather than using both masculine and feminine?
While neither set of pronouns perfectly captures the essence of God, God Himself told us which pronouns to use for Him. In scripture, God is never, ever referred to with feminine pronouns, and Jesus Himself repeatedly stated that He came from the Father, His Father who sent him, and so on. If God’s genderless engendering were imperfect but still most accurate when described either way, surely that would be evident in the perfect book; we would see both Mother God and Father God… but we don’t. God has clearly and distinctively revealed that His relationship to us is one most accurately described as “Father,” and the distinction matters.
The basic functions of men and women make interchanging them impossible, and why they both genders are uniquely important. Since we’re speaking about God, I’m going to focus most on fathers.
Not to get too metaphysical on you, but what is a Father? Someone of Matt Walsh’s ilk would accurately say “a human male who has biologically reproduced” or something like that, but that’s barely skimming the surface of what a father is. Men and women together are complimentary, and equal in dignity, but very different in summary. Think for a moment on how the angels appeared to Mary and Joseph to inform them about the conception of Jesus. Mary was informed of God’s plan for her, and she gave her “yes” to conceive; Joseph was simply reassured and told what to do. It was up to him to cooperate, of course, but the missions assigned to both, and the way in which they were informed were very different. This is more clearly illustrated by the idiom “man is the head, but woman is the neck: she can turn the head any which way she wants.” Gabriel, in a masculine way, informed Mary of the good plan, and Mary submitted to the Lord. The angel in Joseph’s dream was persuasive, convincing, and reassuring in a feminine manner, and so Joseph consented to lead and protect the Holy Family.
Pope Saint John Paul II wrote extensively about fathers in Familiaris Consortio 25. He clearly states that fathers are entrusted with the defense and protection of mothers and children. They’re called to be the sword to match the mothers' shield. This is why the role of a father “is of unique and irreplaceable importance” (FC 25). Fathers bear a distinct, unique role “in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God” (FC 25), thus shaping the understanding of who God is far and away more than any other individual of influence in the life of a child. Men who mishandle or altogether abandon this role of fatherhood are not exercising true fatherhood.
It’s precisely this headship, protection, and defense that God is trying to communicate to us when He chooses “Father” as His identifier. God is not someone to only suggest the right way to you, but a leader who will blaze down the trail ahead of you, inviting you to follow. He is not weak, nor easily overpowered (like a mother might be when called to protect her children), but rather He’s a strong, fearsome, formidable figure who (unlike earthly fathers and men) will always keep you safe when you throw His yoke upon yourself. He is not only akin to a mother, who will valiantly throw Himself in front of you, giving His life for yours (although he did do that, too), but He is a strong warrior of a man, who will charge ahead of you, swinging His sword at any animal that dares to threaten you.
We all know the particular, warm, tender love of a mother, and we know the importance, impact, and make-or-break influence of a father. It’s important to remember God is all of those things, and more than what we could hope to understand, but He is first and foremost the paternal one.
Check out our Father's Day collection for items that honor your heavenly and earthly fathers.
Shop Father's Day