A Perspective On The Holy Trinity

John 16: 12-15

A perspective on the Holy Trinity

Today is the first Sunday after Pentecost, it is Holy Trinity Sunday. Today we celebrate and take a closer look at the Holy Trinity that is, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, Amen. At times, we use the Nicene Creed in worship services. It is an attempt to formulate the relationship between the three persons in the Holy Trinity. It was also developed to provide a common expression of faith and understanding of the Holy Trinity. The creed was produced at the council of Nicaea in the year AD 325. At that time and for many centuries afterwards, if a person held to a different view of the Holy Trinity then death by stoning or burning at the stake awaited them. At great risk to life and limb or at least a severe tongue lashing, I hope to speak faithfully and give glory to the Holy Trinity.

Let us face reality, the Holy Trinity is invisible, God is invisible. How on earth does a person try and describe or explain something that is invisible? Human language is based on things we can point to. The things we can see or experience, we give them a name. For example, I see a wooden cross, or I feel a headache coming on. Imagine going back in time a thousand years and trying to explain to the people then what the World Wide Web is of today. They would not be able to comprehend a word of it. At that time, they thought the world was flat compared to our increased knowledge and understanding of the world being a globe.

God realised the limitations of the human language, and his own predicament. God wanted to be seen and understood as a God who loves and cares for his creation. God did not seek personal glory and praise for the sake of it as perhaps in a master to slave relationship. Instead, God wanted to be reached so that life could be freely given.

Then, a wonderful thing happened. God made a journey to earth and made himself known to his creation in a new and unexpected way. He was born a baby in the town of Bethlehem and was called Jesus. God’s physical presence on earth allowed people to talk about God in a new way. They could be specific in language; they could call him by name, refer to his activities, point to his good works, speak about his nature, and share their experience with him to others. Through Jesus a personal relationship with him could be developed.

Jesus, through his life on earth revealed the nature and will of the invisible God. His life on earth was very busy. He taught the people wherever he went, in Synagogues, in villages, in the fields, and even from a boat to a crowd on the shore. He taught them about his Father in heaven, and the way to true life. Jesus also performed abundant miracles wherever he went. Just to mention a few: he turned water into wine at a wedding festival, he calmed a storm to save his disciples who were in a boat, he fed a hungry crowd of five thousand, he healed the sick and raised Lazarus from the grave. Through Jesus, we see a God who loves all of us. His will and intent is to restore us to life, and particularly give us eternal life with him in heaven.

Since the days in the Garden of Eden where human kind first decided to depart from the way of God nothing but trouble and decay has followed us. Sin and its consequences are always with us. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden they caused the world to change. There was no going back to the way it was. In his mercy and love for his creation, God enabled Adam and Eve to cope in a changed world. He did something new and unexpected. He made cloths for them to wear. Then there was no further need for them to hide from God because of their shame.

Since the day of the original sin, our bodies grow old and decay unto death. We are all born with varying degrees of physical or mental limitations and challenges. None of us are perfect, far from it, we are all flawed and need of help. Our greatest challenge is to love one another. Whenever we sin we change the world we live in. Through greed and lies our relationships are broken at all levels. There is no going back to the way things were. However, Jesus through his love for us is able and willing to help us to cope in a changed world. He can bring healing in new and unexpected ways. His love and care is as much for you as it is for all of creation.