I think I am in good company, because as I glance at some of the explanations of Trinity, I’m not sure that anyone else understands it either.
St. Patrick tried to explain Trinity by using a clover leaf — three leaves on one stalk. One clover, three parts. A good and, possibly, helpful picture yet not quite there. St Augustine described the Trinity as the Beloved, the Lover and the Love between them — another good picture based on a love relationship. Historically there have been several theories now considered heresy which were an attempt to explain the Trinity. Most claim one God in three distinct and separate manifestations — the Mother-Father became the Child who then became the Spirit (sorry for the very simplistic explanation!).
My preference is to remain with it as mystery. It is part of the faith. I don’t need to understand the details. As I pondered the relationship between mystery and faith, I realized that I live with this tension in many aspects of my life.
I thought about the COVID immunization, which I am incredibly grateful for. The vaccine is a mystery to me. I don’t understand what all the component parts are and although I’ve listened to some great explanations of how it works, I am aware that I don’t really understand the intricacies of how a vaccine works. It is a mystery, yet, I accept by faith that this is the best thing for me and for my fellow human beings therefore I had the two jabs.
I also pondered nature, something which I often do, but this time I was thinking of the mystery of it. So much of nature is a mystery to me. How does summer become autumn? I know vaguely that it is to do with light, and heat, and water and seasons. Yet, here in upstate New York in September we are often still in high summer temperatures but still the leaves still start to change to their autumnal glory. It is a mystery, yet I have faith that the seasons will continue to change, autumn will continue to follow summer.
The above are a couple of poor examples but as I pondered, I became increasingly aware that I live a lot of my life in this place of mystery and faith. Lots of things are a mystery to me yet I have faith in them. I’m seeing them through new eyes. Even simple things like writing this blog — the mystery of opening the computer with the faith it will log on, the mystery of hitting a key with the faith that what I type will appear on the screen , the mystery of pressing a few buttons and the faith that the blog will appear on the mailing list and Facebook.
I am happy to live with many things as mystery. I don’t need to know the intricacies of the inner working. I simply live by the faith that they will work as expected. It is an interesting exercise — trying to see how many things during a normal day are a mystery to me yet I have faith in them.
Each time we share Eucharist together, we announce this is “the faith of the church” as we recite the Nicene Creed where the Trinitarian nature of God is expounded. I don’t understand the intricacies of the relationship between the three parts of the Trinity — it is an aspect of faith.
Trinity is a mystery and I am happy to remain with it as such.
“The Three who are over us,
The Three who are below us,
The Three who are above us here,
The Three who are above us yonder,
The Three who are in earth,
The Three who are in air,
The Three who are in heaven,
The Three who are in the great pouring sea,
Be blessing us this day.”
(Way of Living 47)
