JOHN 16:12-15
WE CHRISTIANS GO THROUGH
MOST OF THE YEAR NOT THINKING ABOUT THE BLESSED TRINITY, WHICH IS
UNDERSTANDABLE. WHEN WE TRY TO IMAGINE HOW THREE PERSONS CAN BE ONE
GOD; HOW EACH CAN BE DISTINCT BUT AT THE SAME TIME EQUAL IN EVERY
WAY; HOW ALTHOUGH EACH HAS A DIFFERENT ROLE, ALL PARTICIPATE IN EACH
ROLE, IT STARTS TO HURT THE HEAD. SOME CHRISTIANS JUST GIVE UP
–JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, THE CHURCH OF GOD – THEY SAY SINCE IT
DOESN'T SAY “TRINITY” ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE, IT HASN'T GOT
ANYTHING TO DO WITH BEING A CHRISTIAN. MUSLIMS SAY IT PROVES THAT
CHRISTIANS WORSHIP THREE GODS, AND ARE THEREFORE PAGANS OR AT BEST,
HORRIBLY MISGUIDED. AND PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN THE DOCTRINE GIVE ALL
KINDS OF EXPLANATIONS: THE THREE PERSONS ARE THREE WAYS THAT WE
UNDERSTAND GOD. THE THREE PERSONS ARE LIKE THE LEAVES ON A SHAMROCK;
THE THREE PERSONS ARE LIKE WATER THAT CAN BE ICE, LIQUID, OR STEAM.
THE THREE PERSONS ARE LIKE SOMEONE BEING A MOTHER, A WIFE, AND A
DAUGHTER. ALL OF THESE IDEAS ARE OF COURSE WRONG.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE
TRINITY. AND IT ISN'T IN THE BIBLE. BUT IT IS BIBLE-BASED. THE
EARLY CHURCH, ONCE IT HAD TIME TO STOP AND THINK AFTER THE
PERSECUTIONS WERE OVER, BEGAN TO ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, HOW CAN JESUS BE
GOD AND MAN? WHY DID HE SAY HE AND THE FATHER WERE ONE, AND WHO SEES
ME SEES THE FATHER? WHY DID HE TALK ABOUT THE FATHER AND HE COMING
TO MAKE THEIR DWELLING IN THE CHRISTIAN? DOESN'T THAT SHOW IDENTITY?
BUT THEN, WHY DID HE SAY THAT ONLY THE FATHER KNEW WHEN THE END OF
THE WORLD WOULD COME; AND WHY DID HE PRAY TO THE FATHER? DOESN'T
THAT SHOW DIFFERENCE? AND WHY DID HE SPEAK OF “ANOTHER ADVOCATE”
WHO WOULD TAKE OVER WHEN HE HAD LEFT? WHY DID HE SAY THE FATHER SENT
THE SPIRIT IN ONE PLACE AND YET HE GAVE THE SPIRIT IN ANOTHER? AND
WHY DOES HE REFER TO THE SPIRIT AS “HE”, NOT “IT”?
THE FATHERS OF THE
CHURCH, AFTER FOUR CENTURIES OF PONDERING THESE ISSUES, DOGMATICALLY
CONCLUDED THAT GOD IS A TRINITY, CONSISTING OF THREE PERSONS, FATHER,
SON, AND SPIRIT, YET ONE GOD, NOT THREE. AND SIXTEEN CENTURIES
LATER, I DON'T THINK WE UNDERSTAND ANY MORE THAN THEY DID.
BUT THINK ABOUT THIS.
THE TRINITY, AS IT TURNS OUT, SOLVES A LOT OF PROBLEMS. IF GOD IS
PURE EXISTENCE, ALL POWERFUL, ALL GOOD, COMPLETELY PERFECT IN
HIMSELF, LACKING NOTHING – WHY MAKE THE WORLD? WHY MAKE MAN? DID
HE JUST GET THE IDEA ONE DAY? BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT BEFORE HE HAD
THE IDEA, HE WAS NOT THE SAME AS AFTERWARD. GOD DOESN'T CHANGE. AND
ANOTHER THING, IF GOD IS ALL KNOWING AND ALL POWERFUL, THEN NOTHING
HAPPENS WITHOUT HIS CONSENT. SO BASED ON THIS IDEA, CALVIN SAID THAT
EVEN OUR ETERNAL DESTINY WAS NOT IN OUR HANDS – GOD PLANNED BEFORE
THE UNIVERSE EXISTED THAT SOME WOULD GO TO HELL AND OTHERS TO HEAVEN.
MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION AS WELL – IF YOU DECIDE TO
BECOME A SUICIDE BOMBER AND BLOW YOURSELF UP, GOD INTENDED FOR THAT
TO HAPPEN FROM BEFORE TIME BEGAN. AND OF COURSE, THE TRINITY SOLVES
THE PROBLEM OF WHY GOD BECAME MAN.
THOMAS AQUINAS SAID THAT
THE FATHER KNOWS HIMSELF PERFECTLY; AND THIS PERFECT KNOWLEDGE, BEING
PERFECT, EXISTS; THIS IS THE SON, DISTINCT FROM BUT IDENTICAL TO THE
FATHER EXCEPT IN TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP; THE SON IS GENERATED, THE
FATHER GENERATES. THE FATHER LOVES THE SON, AND THE SON LOVES THE
FATHER. THIS LOVE IS SO ALL-ENCOMPASSING THAT IT TOO IS A PERSON,
THAT EXISTS, EQUAL IN EVERY WAY TO THE FATHER AND THE SON, BUT
DIFFERENT ONLY IN RELATIONSHIP. THE NATURE OF LOVE IS TO GIVE OF
ONESELF. THE FATHER GIVES HIS WHOLE SELF TO THE SON, WHO IN TURN
EMPTIES HIMSELF OUT FOR US; AND THE SPIRIT WORKS WITH US TO BRING US
BACK TO THE FATHER, SO THAT ALL WILL BE IN ALL. GOD IS CREATOR;
THAT'S HIS VERY NATURE.
AND GOD DOES KNOW
EVERYTHING AND IS ALL POWERFUL; AND JESUS IS THE NECESSARY ONE, THE
ONE WHO IS PREDESTINED, THE ONE WHO MUST SUFFER AND DIE AND RISE
AGAIN. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE UNIVERSE; AND IN JESUS WHAT GOD
WANTS IS EXACTLY WHAT GOD GETS. WE HUMAN BEINGS CAN, THROUGH THE
SACRAMENTS HE'S GIVEN US, UNITE OUR DESTINY TO HIS – OR CHOOSE NOT
TO. WE CAN BECOME PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. FREE WILL IS
COMPATIBLE WITH PREDESTINATION.
FINALLY, WHEN GOD BECAME
MAN, THIS “BECOMING” STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME; THERE WAS
NO TIME WHEN GOD WAS NOT BECOMING MAN. AND IT CONTINUES TO THE END
OF TIME. FOR JESUS TO COME INTO THE WORLD, THE WORLD HAD TO BE MADE.
IN A WAY, THE UNIVERSE IS THE SON, BROUGHT TO ITS HIGHEST POINT IN
THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST. AND FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THE
SPIRIT WORKS TO KNIT ALL OF CREATION INTO A SEAMLESS GARMENT THAT THE
SON PRESENTS TO THE FATHER.
IN A WAY, FOUR CENTURIES,
TWENTY CENTURIES REALLY, OF THOUGHT ABOUT THE PERSON OF JESUS AND THE
REVEALED TRUTH IN THE BIBLE CONCLUDE THAT THE TRINITY IS THE WAY GOD
IS. OTHER WAYS DON'T MAKE SENSE AND STILL ACCOUNT FOR THE WORLD AS
WE EXPERIENCE IT.
BUT ONE THING ABOUT THE
TRINITY SHOULD HIT US BETWEEN THE EYES. THE TRINITY IS A COMMUNITY,
ONE IN WHICH EACH PERSON EMPTIES HIMSELF OUT IN LOVE FOR THE OTHERS.
ANY OF US WHO HAVE ACTUALLY LOVED OR EXPERIENCED LOVE KNOWS THAT THE
HIGHEST LOVE IS LOVE THAT EMPTIES ITSELF OUT. A PARENT THAT
SACRIFICES FOR A CHILD; A PERSON WHO GOES OUT OF HIS WAY FOR A
FRIEND; A DOCTOR WHO GIVES UP HIS WEEKEND TO BE ON CALL FOR HIS
PATIENTS; A PASTOR WHO IS UP ALL NIGHT WITH A DYING PARISHIONER; WE
CAN THINK OF MANY EXAMPLES OF HOW PERSONS EMPTY THEMSELVES OUT, EVEN
IN LITTLE WAYS. AND WE CAN THINK OF THOSE WHO HAVE EMPTIED
THEMSELVES OUT FOR ANOTHER HEROICALLY – THE SOLDIER WHO DIES FOR
HIS COUNTRY; THE MARTYR WHO DIES FOR HIS FAITH; THE HUSBAND WHO GIVES
UP EVERYTHING TO TAKE CARE OF THE WIFE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE; THE
ADULT CHILD WHO GIVES UP MARRIAGE OR A CAREER TO TAKE CARE OF AN
INVALID PARENT. WE SEE THESE EXAMPLES OF SELF-GIVING, SELF EMPTYING
LOVE, AND WE KNOW ON A DEEP LEVEL THAT IN SOME WAY GOD IS BEING
REFLECTED AND IMITATED.
IN THE EASTERN CHURCH,
THE PROCESS OF BECOMING HOLY, SOMETHING WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BE, IS
REFERRED TO AS “THEOSIS” WHICH MEANS, THE PROCESS OF BECOMING
GOD. THAT IS A STRANGE IDEA TO WESTERN MINDS, BUT IT CAPTURES A LOT.
IN THE TRINITY, OUR EASTERN BROTHERS SAY, THE THREE PERSONS ARE IN A
DANCE, WHERE EACH MOVES THROUGH THE OTHER, WHERE FOR ALL ETERNITY
EACH EMPTIES HIMSELF OUT IN LOVE, AND AS SAINT JOHN SAID, GOD IS THE
VERY DEFINITION OF LOVE. AND THE MORE WE EMPTY OURSELVES OUT FOR GOD
AND FOR EACH OTHER, THE MORE WE LIVE IN THE HEART OF THE TRINITY,
WHICH IS, OF COURSE, WHERE HEAVEN IS.
