John 3:1-17 Gospel reading for Trinity Sunday June 3rd 2012
Many readers will be aware that the term Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible. The formulation of our thinking about the Trinity is however very strongly supported by scripture.
I have written variously about this week's reading and the Trinity, both recently and in the past, (see the links below), so I do not intend to go back over the ground previously covered.
Previous Reflections on John 3:1-17 (insights into Nicodemus)
The need to have God figured out has been a perpetual torment that has underpinned society through the ages. Over the centuries, bun-fights centred around the nature of God have been frequent. In the early days of Christianity, the claim that Jesus was God rocked traditional thinking. There were many unanswered questions. If He was God, was He always around? What role did Jesus play in creation? Then the Holy Spirit was thrown into the mix ...how could there be yet another, (third) version of God? What was the status of this new player? Was it on the same level as the original God and the emerging Jesus (also God)? The three ecumenical creeds dating back to the first two or three centuries A.D were born out of such bun-fights and the need to have God 'tightly documented.' We've since tried to describe the Trinity with many different metaphors or images - e.g the three sides of an equilateral triangle, or the core, skin and flesh of an apple. By doing that, do we in effect put boundaries around how we view God? Perhaps we need to recognize that it is simply not possible for our human brains to comprehend the profound mystery that God is. Nor should we insist on trying to define God in purely left-brain terms. Mystery is a word we perhaps need to use more when talking about God. Is it time for the right-brain to set us free to encourage greater exploration of the Mystery? (Capital M used intentionally.)
As we strive in our schools to shape a spirituality for the 21st century, where do we start in trying to unpack a more right-brain influenced view of God? I'm not quite sure ... but I'll just try to let some words flow.
God has a mysterious presence. He is a tricky character, just a bit too clever for us. His big task in this world, has been to progressively reveal the nature of the mystery of Himself to all people. He has done this in most unexpected ways, by hiding Himself throughout His created world, including the trick move of stowing Himself away within us. Then in another surprise manoeuvre, He decided to show Himself to us in human form, through a most unlikely middle-eastern man Jesus. Along the way, He gave His people lots of pointers that this was going to happen. He even master-minded putting the story into print. In the most topsy-turvy, shock move of all though, He allowed Himself to suffer the humility of a cruel death on the cross. Of course to add some substance to the claim that He, in Jesus, was God, He defied death through an astounding resurrection.
So what next? For whatever reason He decided to recall the human Jesus form of Himself and in yet another move of genius, He has given Himself to us in a mysterious, ongoing, special spirit-form. All this in a way that we can't possibly hope to figure out how it works. Yet we somehow feel God's special presence in the Holy Spirit in all sorts of amazing ways and situations. Being a practical God, He has provided for us, ways in which we can top up our spirit supply - every time we reflect on the Words from His special book - in the simple yet mysterious holy meal of bread and wine - and incredibly, the permanent residence of the Holy Spirit in us through Baptism ( and so the mystery deepens!)
God continues to help us see glimpses of the mystery as He goes to work in us. The fairy-tale ending as we allow the Mystery to shape our lives is encapsulated in one simple word LOVE. We know that God is a mystery and He works in very mysterious ways. He invites us all, with unconditional love for the world, (with no strings attached), to run with that Mystery, to immerse ourselves in it, to bask in it with Him, to share it with others, to celebrate it.
A careful reading of John 3 as it turns out, reveals that God has taken care of everything. It's all there, ready, waiting.
Perhaps for too long in our various approaches to communicating the Christian faith, we have focused too heavily on the impossible task of trying to explain and figure out the Mystery! Let's just enjoy it! To use the words of a recent book title ... "Heaven is now"!
Nev
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