As I experience the Christian season of Lent, I sometimes think: Oh, Mormonism, you are so missing out on the party. This 40-day runup to Easter, evocative of Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness, is a tradition I all but ignored until perhaps three years ago. Now, I find myself appreciating Lent more and more, especially as an antidote to the stresses of late winter and early spring. I say all that to say, if Lent has never been part of your religious expression, it is worth trying.
One of the events which has enhanced my observance of Lent is the most recent podcast episode of Latter-day Faith, hosted by Dan Wotherspoon. Here is a link to the episode page:
Healing the World as Only Mother Can
To be clear, the episode is not about Lent specifically. Dan’s guests were authors Carol Lynn Pearson and Kathryn Sonntag. The primary topic, as billed on LDF’s website is this: “the deep ache that not only we, but also our societies and the world, have to fully reclaim the presence and energies of the Mother (Divine Feminine, Mother Creator, Nature, Wisdom, Mother in Heaven, etc.)”
With poetry as a key ingredient in the episode, Carol Lynn, Kathryn, and Dan explored the role of Mother in doctrine, spirituality, and creative expression. At times, their conversation grew impassioned, especially as they discussed the desire to harmonize the masculine and feminine aspects of religion. Still, what ended up drawing me in the most were their reflections on the figure of Jesus Christ as seen through the lens of motherhood. Of course the New Testament makes this clear, with Jesus’s mortal mother Mary so prominent in the narrative: his childhood, his ministry, and his crucifixion.
I appreciated the podcaster and poets’ perspectives on Christ and Heavenly Mother. I encourage you to head over to LDF and give this podcast your attention. It’s a bit long as podcast episodes go, so you may wish to break it up. Whether your beliefs on these subjects are literal, or tend more to the metaphorical as they do for me, this is a conversation well worth the listen.
Healing the World as Only Mother Can
Questions for Discussion:
What sources have you found useful in contemplating a Heavenly Mother, or the divine feminine in general?
Are you familiar with Carol Lynn Pearson and Kathryn Sonntag’s work, or have you listened to the above podcast episode? If so, what were your reactions to it?
How can motherhood, divine and human, augment our understanding and appreciation of Jesus Christ’s story?
Featured image licensed from iStock.
Wheat & Tares 
Carol Lynn Pearson’s “Finding Mother God” is really beautiful – I bought 20 copies to give to friends and family, I think it’s such an important book – and I’ve been listening to Pearson talk about it any chance I get – so I will check out the podcast.
Once of the concepts in Pearson’s book is that we shouldn’t try to pin down a definition of divine feminine (or divinity in general) and I agree. So I like that you referred to “contemplation” instead of “what do you think She is like” (we don’t know and I am 0% interested in having Church leaders define Her and put her in their “mother / woman” box). I pray to her, or rather I would say “with” her, as part of contemplation and so far I have not been struck by lightening.
Our Savior is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly born and out of whom we shall never come.
Julian of Norwich
Thanks very much for that post, Jake. A couple of real prophets (or would that be prophetess’s?). I was surprised that the Mother Earth imagery came up so late, but come up it did and in a beautiful way. It appears the world is in the throes of the patriarchal grip! It will definitely take us all to unwind that tight grip.
Elisa, my introduction to Carol Lynn Pearson has been through the compilation Dove Song: Heavenly Mother in Mormon Poetry. I haven’t made it all the way through that book, but thankfully have made it far enough to experience her vision and voice as a poet. I think it’s awesome you bought a bunch of copies of her book to share.
vajra2, thanks for mentioning Julian of Norwich. So important to have her be an author we become more familiar with. Hopefully I will learn more of her going forward.
Buddhist Bishop, I haven’t spent much time with her work, but Kathryn Sonntag has academic degrees in both English and Environmental Studies. Great to see someone blending those areas of expertise in creative writing. Glad to have the chance to see your perspectives on Mother Earth be part of Wheat & Tares.
Thanks to each of you for responding to this subject.