Christians traditionally call God, “Father.” We take this from Jesus, who not only referred to God as Father, but also used the Aramaic word “Abba,” a more intimate word–like “Papa” or “Daddy.”
“Father” however, has different connotations for different people. For too many people, “Father” brings to mind images of abuse or abandonment.
Calling God “Father,” is anthropomorphizing. While the word highlights traits of God, God transcends any and all words that we might use. We have no choice but to use limited language to speak of God, so no words will be perfect. The question isn’t “is ‘Father’ the perfect name?” but rather “is it useful?”
We do God no favors by insisting that God is one gender or another. It seems that when we argue that God is a male or a female, it is because we believe that said gender should be in charge. While using God’s authority to build up one’s own power is a popular practice, history shows that it never works in the long run, and no faith that I know of is in favor of it (In fact, Christianity calls people to follow a God who chooses humility).
While none of us have perfect parents, even those of us who have had mostly negative associations can understand what a parent should be. In the best communities, God is a “Father to the fatherless,” and God’s people imitate that trait, demonstrating how an older generation can empower a younger one, even if biological parents did not.
I understand the temptation to do away with the term. Male and Female were both made in the image of God, according to Christian and Jewish teaching, and to only refer to God as “Father” undercuts that idea. There are also barriers of understanding to be traversed with those for whom “Father” does not connote a close, loving, relationship.
I still, however, use the term–even as I try to balance the way in which I speak of God. I do so because Fathers need to see that their work is God’s work, and because children–with or without a biological father, need “father figures,” no matter who they are. I like that “Father” was originally a radical term: when God was seen as distant and destructive, the word “Father” implied that God could be close, and life-giving.
How you see God will effect how you see your earthly Father, and vice versa, but that does not mean that we should expect Dad to be divine, or the divine to be just like Dad.
How do you understand the term “father?” Does it limit or expand your understanding of God? Does it affect the ways in which you might act as a Father (biological or otherwise)? As a child?