Heavenly Mother’s Day: Jehovah Speaks Of His Mother In Heaven
The Book of Jesus, Chapter 1
Jehovah Speaks of His Mother in Heaven
1. In the beginning I was The Word, creation,
spoken by Mother. I was in Her, and of Her,
and through Her.
2. In the beginning, I was Man and Her light
shone on a place in me I couldn’t name:
the Woman place, void and without form;
quiet, lonely, violent.
3. She drew me in, held me there while I shook.
She drew me out again, turned my face toward hers,
held memory in her hands. She turned my face
toward light, toward darkness, whispered what
I must see, what I would learn on my knees,
in the garden, before my pain shook olives from the tree.
4. I did not know I would mother
Her children in earth, that Mary’s heart
would pierce mine. Martha’s sorrow,
poured on my feet, washed my soul
clean in women’s grief. My other mother
held me in the flesh, her ache seeping into my bones.
5. I did not know my woman mate would bring
visions of hope, blood, rage, and longing to our bed.
6. My Mother knew Gethsemane. But she did not know
a forgotten memory of Her would come –
an angel in the darkness – Her love in me, of me,
and through me enough to heal every woman.
7. I did not know when I cried, Abba,
Mother would answer –
Her silence shook the earth.
.
Chills. Melody, I can’t tell you how much I love this. I’m bookmarking this so that I can write a paper someday on Mormon feminist midrash and quote this. Your last stanza is perfection.
Thanks, Caroline. . . What a lovely compliment. I hope this re-telling is close to the truth in some ways. I miss Her so. And I think the Savior wants us to find her, in part, through Him.
I agree. The last stanza seems to solve so much in my wondering and wandering heart. I needed this, with all of my “Mother” and “mother” issues…. I think this healed me a little. In a way nothing else has to date. Thank you, Melody, from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you, Spunky. And thank you for the inspiration for this wonderful Heavenly Mother’s Day series.
This piece came as a result of my wondering how a male savior could possibly understand the suffering of the female human. I don’t pretend to know how God does what s/he does, but I believe that if the Father is in Christ as Christ is in the Father, then, surely the Mother is also in Christ as Christ is in the Mother.
Who better to prepare the savior in premortality to understand the unique pain and suffering of women than his Mother? Who better to comfort him when he experienced that pain in the flesh in mortality?Who, in apparent silence, has for millenia, moved the earth and all things in it? I want Heavenly Mother ‘s part in the story of redemption, salvation, and exaltation to be as clear and present as Heavenly Father’s part. For me, Jesus is the way and the life. Jesus is the way home to Mother and Father who are one God.
This is a marvelous midrash, Melody—the perfect thing to read after visiting the Mother in Heaven exhibition at BYU.
Thanks, Jason. Coming from you, this means a lot. I’m no pro with midrash. I’m not even sure I fully understand the concept, but this piece felt like what I understand about it. I know every story has more than one telling. So many “tellings” are missed in our sacred texts. . . too many unheard voices. Thanks again.
This made me tear up, Melody, thank you.
Could you tell me about the artwork you put with it? The painting is as beautiful as the writing!
JessR, I found the art on line. As I recall, the artist is Greek. The title and artist credit shows in the URL when you click on the image. In my opinion (sincerely) the art speaks more than the words – or rather, the art is given additional meaning by the words. And I agree, the painting is stunning. Thanks for your comment.
Tears here too. They came at stanza six: My Mother knew Gethsemane.
I just found this today through BCC. This is just beautiful. You have a poetic gift. I am recognizing that women have been carrying our own internal theology of the Mother, and in the absence of formal doctrine what we can and have created can be beautiful. I am thanfuk and happy to find this today.
I have no other words for this than beautiful, and thank you.