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Why do we still teach the 'Trinity'? A devotion for May --'Why do we still teach the Trinity?'The Apostle Paul, who had written a letter to his Christian friends in the city of Corinth, ended his letter with these words: " The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." -- that's a pretty classic expression of who Paul believed God to be! And, that's our belief too -- still today. God is one God, known through time in a variety of ways. The early Christians 'summarized' their understanding and experience of God with the teaching that 'God is three persons', yet one God! Another way of understanding their insights about God is by starting at the creation story and the early accounts in the Book of Genesis about God. God made all things. God is spoken of in the plural when the story about the Tower of Babel is told. In the Book of Proverbs Wisdom is a female persona who is intimately connected with God -- God is also in the bush & fire as God speaks with Moses. God revealed himself as three guests when God visited Abraham. God's journeying among us goes right back to the Garden of Eden -- and is at its best and most wonderful height in the life of Jesus who Matthew also calls Emmanuel; God with us. Jesus (Yeshua) also has the name of Saviour / The Lord saves. Now, look at the future. That is the 'destination' the Christian message points us to: The Spirit is now teaching us about our 'future hope'. The Bible ends with a beautiful vision of the restoration of God's kingdom -- exceeding by far the first 'world' God made. It also ends with a return of the Saviour to His people. Meanwhile -- the Spirit keeps our hope and our faith alive. The Spirit inspires our worship and assures us of our reconcilliation with God -- leaving no doubt. To encourage us, we have the Scriptures which speak about God's abundant grace & mysterious working among us since the beginning of time ... Do you have a favourite story that gives you this message? Mine is the story about the prodigal son & his loving, yearning, accepting and generous father! Check it out. Try to find it for yourself. Luke's Gospel in the New Testament has many rich stories told by Jesus that teach about the kingdom of God, but also about God's love for his ordinary people -- like you and me.! Why do we still teach that old 'lesson' about God called 'the Trinity'? For me it's like using abreviations when making copious notes. To write it all in long-hand is very time consuming. A triangle or a clover may remind our head and heart of all that we know and believe about God. It can be as simple as that! Best of all for me too, is my experience with God. No, I can't see Jesus anymore. I can't even see the Creator-Father or the Spirit -- but the beauty of the world, the many times I feel very close to God -- and the beautiful lessons & words of Jesus, preserved for us all in the Bible tell me: God is more than we can ever fully describe -- but God is, and God is atleast -- much more than I can write. Amen
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