Drawn not dragged “What’s wrong with women angels?”

Table theology and inconvenient questions…

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can read more comfortably

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I was working through John 8:44

and writing about the evil one as “father of lies.”

Greek words spread about.

Notes from the Church Fathers (Saints).  

Thoughts on deception, falsehood, and spiritual blindness.

Feeling rather pleased with myself, if I am honest…

Then I thought of what my wife Roberta might say!

“I thought you said angels—even fallen ones—aren’t male or female?”

Yes… I would cautiously reply. 

Then a second question might fire back.

“Then why are all the angels men?

What’s wrong with women angels?”

To be honest I would look for a hiding place at that point!

Because beneath the humour sits an uncomfortable truth:

Many of us who spend time around theology

assume distinctions others have never been taught.

We know grammatical gender is not the same as biological sex.

We know angels in Holy Scripture and

Holy Tradition are understood as spiritual beings

rather than male or female in the human sense.

We know names such as Michael or Gabriel,

and masculine pronouns in Holy Scripture,

do not necessarily answer the deeper question of angelic nature.

We know these things.

But often we forget others may not.

And perhaps more importantly:

Sometimes others ask questions we have stopped asking.

Questions that expose where our explanations

have become technical, hurried, or comfortably assumed.

The Church has never feared sincere questions.

Children ask them.

Catechumens ask them.

The Saints asked them.

The Mother of God asked: “How shall this be?”

Even those closest to Christ asked repeatedly:

“What does this mean?”

Questions are not enemies of faith.

Pride fears questions.

Ideology fears questions.

Truth does not.

A difficult or inconvenient question can become

a small act of humility because it reminds us

that understanding is not possession.

None of us masters God.

We receive, wrestle, pray, and learn.

Even after years in the Church.

Even after years in ministry.

Even after one has accumulated enough books and notes

to appear slightly more informed than one really is!

The perceived question from Roberta also stirred another thought.

How often do we silently carry uncertainties

because we fear appearing foolish?

How many believers wonder: Why does Scripture say this?
What does the Church mean by that?
How can angels be called “he” if they are not male?

Why do I struggle with prayer?
What if I do not understand?

Some never ask.

Not because they lack curiosity.

But because they fear embarrassment.

The tragedy is not asking difficult questions.

The tragedy is believing one must pretend certainty

while remaining confused.

Perhaps humility sometimes sounds like this:

“I do not understand. Could you explain?”

And perhaps patience sometimes sounds like:

 “That is a good question. Let us work together.”

Lord have mercy.

I suspect praying for patience and longsuffering

often results in receiving opportunities to practise them.

Marriage appears especially effective in this regard.

So today I give thanks for inconvenient questions,

for those willing to ask them,

 and for the grace to occasionally

crawl back out from under the chair and answer.

Because the truth need not fear scrutiny at any table.

Reflection:
What question have I avoided asking

because I feared sounding uninformed?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, grant me humility enough

to ask honest questions,

 wisdom enough to seek truth, and

patience enough to listen when others do the same.

Deliver me from pride disguised as certainty. Amen.