What If

by Debbie Leo

What if God first came as a woman, but no one noticed?
What if she sang God's heartsong among the elders,
    but they slapped her for presumption?
What if she was baptized at menses, anointed from Ruah's cup?
What if the Spirit drove her into submissive obscurity,
but she resisted the temptation and reimaged a new Way?

A Way
    where she loved
        her thick thighs, small breasts,
            fertile mind, flaming heart
    she intuited
        powered
            laughed
        angered
    healed
        absolved
            guided
                befriended

        she spun stories,
            dreamed dreams.

What if for flourishing, women, even men abused her?

    battered, broken, left as outcast, as dead.

What if she survived, her only options begging and prostitution?
    There are many ways of death.
    There is only one way of the Spirit.

Debbie Leo is the Associate Pastor at Central Presbyterian Church.
She also serves on Worship Weavers at Brigid's Place.