Mercy 12: Mercy for the Deep Wounds
‘By calling God the “Father,” the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that He is at the same time goodness and loving care for all His children. God’s parental kindness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood, which emphasizes God’s immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature.’ (CCC #239)
While ministering to a group of persons pursuing sexual wholeness, I became aware of how God the Father was restoring us. We were singing to the Father; we thanked Him for the broken body and shed blood of His Son—our access to the fullness of Father’s love for us. In the Spirit, I discerned rivers of both maternal and paternal love pouring into us, a poor people, who at the same time were pouring out grateful hearts to Him.
It struck me: God who encompasses (and also transcends) the best qualities of both human parents, is able to secure us in the bonds of love that are the foundation of secure human relating. Any clinician knows that the capacity for adult bonding is a gift secured in childhood. Praise God for His real Presence which can restore what was never secured in the first place!
Who knew that singing simple love songs to God could heal us? Without even knowing it, He was restoring our souls. We needed His touch. As I looked out at the familiar faces, I was aware of the deep wounds many had sustained in relation to mother and father, often with no ill intention on the part of anyone. Others had been abused as young kids and now struggled to trust others in general.
These are deep wounds, often at the core of serious relational and addiction problems. Dr. Joseph Nicolosi writes persuasively of how skewed sexual identities are often defensive reactions to the grief of attachment loss. Leanne Payne complements this view by articulating the loss of being tied to relational wounds.
A loss of being! If breakdown in core relationships contributes to the temptation to worship mere creatures, how much more do we need Him? We need that Father who is mighty yet intimately committed to imparting life to desert souls.
We worship Him in turn as He pours Himself out on the dry ground. As the Father of all fathers and mothers, He will complete the healing He started in us.
‘For you did not receive a spirit of fear leading to slavery again, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry ‘Abba,’ Father! The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.’ (Romans 8: 15, 16)
Prayer Points:
Desert Stream/Living Waters: North/South Carolina, Katherine Allen, Regional Coordinator. Please pray for new groups in the Carolinas.
Restored Hope Network: Truth in Love, Vancouver, WA. Pastor Warren Lamb, Director. Specialty: Biblical counseling for couples, men, women and families.
Courage: Pray that the church remains confident and strong in her recognition and proclamation of God’s plan for our sexuality.
Ministries of Pastoral Care: We pray for the countries in which we are called to minister that there would be unity, renewal and life from above.
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