A recurring maternal image of God's care in Scripture is that of a mother bird sheltering her chicks under her wings. Jesus uses this imagery in the gospel of Luke when he weeps over Jerusalem:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"
Other images of God are also used in Psalm 61. For example, God is our "strong tower." Psychologists call this God imagery, how different images and imaginings of God evoke different experiences within us. God is vast and beyond knowing so the images we need are many, each a small, finite window that allows us to glimpse the Infinite.
Which is why it's important, for me at least, to stop and savor these motherly, maternal images of God's love and affection. A mother's heart is a profound and powerful window to look through when contemplating the love of God. There is no fiercer love on earth, and something divine shines through that fierceness. And it is good for your soul to know that you are loved like that.
