Absolutely

Not for Lent, but as a New Years’ resolution I decided, several years ago, to take the word, “absolutely,” out of my vocabulary for one whole year. It was more difficult than I imagined.

The reason for the resolution was that I had read that the word was becoming overused and often inappropriately used. We were using the word in trivial matters rather than more serious ones. For example, we were responding, “absolutely,” to the question, “are you sure this is the person who stole your apples?” Seems appropriate. And the same response was given to the question, “would you like some ice cream?” Seems less appropriate.

The goal for abstaining from using, “absolutely” either spoken or written for a year, was to break the habit and hopefully, after the year, to only use it when necessary.

I succeeded! After a few weeks, the word was absent from my usage and remained so for a whole year. Prior to that year I was guilty of using the word, “absolutely,” way too often. I was glad to be rid of it and able to use it only when necessary. Besides, I truly hate absolutes. Which may seem a bit ironic because religious people speak quite a lot in absolutes.

There is one particular part of today’s Gospel (Luke 13:31-35) that I love because it can so easily throw a Christian absolutism off kilter.

We so often refer to God as the Trinity, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that we can easily find ourselves only talking about God in the masculine. Well, here’s Jesus using an entirely feminine image to describe himself. “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…”

What a beautiful and absolutely fitting image for the Son part of the Trinity.

I don’t think we should lose our masculine trinitarian language, but neither do I think we should be limited by it. And the Bible is chalk-full of non-masculine language and images for God. In fact, the Holy Spirit is not an “it” in the Bible but, “she.” We are doing ourselves a disservice when we limit the beauty and breadth of language and images that can help deepen of our understanding and experience of God.