Is God a Woman?

Li Qian and I are classmates in month-long volunteer management training in the Philippines. Our rooms are next to each other. One morning while I was doing my stretching at my balcony, the door suddenly closed behind me. I couldn't open the door anymore because it had no handle. I called my neighboring rooms but no reply. I knew Li Qian was still sleeping so I decided to wake her up. It's going to be class time anyway. So I called, "Li Qian, Li Qian". There was no answer.

It seemed to me that she was still soundly asleep. But actually, Li Qian heard someone calling her name. "Li Qian, Li Qian..." Half asleep, she rose, walked a few paces and opened her main door to see who was calling her. She didn't see anyone so she went back to sleep. Then came the call again, " Li Qian...Li Qian..." She thought, "Oh, it must be God calling me. What did I do? God, I only drank a bottle of beer last night" Li Qian... Li Qian..."But it's a woman's voice. Is God a woman?" she asked. Then she remembered her mother telling her to go to church, to attend mass. She recalled her mother reminding her to eat breakfast. The voice became louder. She got up and ran to her balcony. She was smiling. Then I told her that I was locked out. She immediately called someone to open my main door.

What happened next is another story.

(This happened one day in September 2006 at Southeast Asia Rural and Social Leadership Institute (SEARSOLIN) in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines)