"Abba" Father and Battlestar Galactica

I didn't see this coming, but when it did, it whacked me up the side of the head. Friday night, I joined Battlestar Galactica's series finale. I have enjoyed the series, which has garnered a significant amount of acclaim as a scifi series.

If you are a non-scifi person, I won't bore you with details about the story, but in the last episode two angelic beings are discussing God's hand in the affairs of men. One said things were all a part of "God's plan," and the other leaned over and said softly, "You know He doesn't like that name." (with a grin)

I didn't know what to think at first, but the more I thought about it, I thought, "Hmmm, if I had paid to adopt people as my children with my Son's death on the cross, what would I want them to call me?"

Maybe "God" isn't the name He prefers above all others. Most religions refer to God as God. Even unbelievers can study "God," and talk about Him. Only children of God can call him "Abba Father" and mean it.

Paul writes in Romans 8:15,16: "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Should we abandon the term "God?" Of course not, but I was reminded that it is too easy to talk about our Father...as "God" in too much of an academic, generic, detached, way. It is far too tempting to settle for knowing "about" God rather than learning to "know" your Father and His Son, Our Savior, relationally.

With so many names for God being communicated in Scripture, no one name can be sufficient in itself, but Battlestar Galactica in an unexpected way, reminded me that I should never settle for just one either! Hope you're rejoicing that among the many names you can call our God, "Abba Father" is one of them!

Oh, one more verse for the road: 1 John 3:1: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"