The dance of the trinity

I have always found the concept of the trinity hard to understand. Who is our God? How is He three and yet also one? Do I relate to God as Father? Or as Jesus, the Son? Or as the Holy Spirit? How do I interact with all three? Should I do so all at once or one at a time? And if I do, am I then understanding them as three rather than one? But then if I focus on the oneness do I then lose the three-ness? Above all, what does this mean in practice? And how does it affect me as a follower of this God?

I am fully aware that this is something that has been debated and argued over for millennia. I certainly am not attempting to add anything to the theological debate. But while this is a significant theological issue for the intellectuals amongst us to wrestle with, it surely also has profound ramifications for all of us.

Over the past years, I have found something surprising, at least it has been so to me. God has taken me on a journey of discovery. He is the master of such adventures, for only he knows what we truly need at each step, and every turn (see here for further discussion on this).

And so for the past years, he has slowly revealed to me one aspect after another of his character. I might spend days, or weeks, perhaps even a month, marvelling at his goodness, for example. And as I reflect on this, I am astounded, captivated and entranced. Or I might find myself struck by what it means that Jesus is my friend. And as I have struggled to comprehend this, I have discovered Jesus to be the friend I always longed for. These are but two examples. I have found that each truth revealed is filled with depth upon depth, most of which I am sure remains yet untouched by me.

It astounds me that God seems to delight in pulling me upwards and inwards. That he appears to take great pleasure in revealing his heart to those that he loves (I described some of this in this post). But of course, there is always more. And so I find myself prompted to share another picture with you, a picture of the great dance of the trinity.

One day, while I was praying, I found myself in a room. It was a room filled with laughter and with the presence of God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the three who are one. Somehow I too was in this room. And as I stood, and watched I was entranced by the beauty of that place. A room that I never wanted to leave. Where I could stand on the edges and watch for all eternity.

But I was not left to my own devices for long. For as I stood there, the Holy Spirit rushed at me, picked me up and in the process whispered in my ear. He then gently tossed me through the air until I was caught in the arms of the Father, and set upon his knee while he talked with me. Again, I found myself tossed through the air and caught by Jesus, who drew me by his side and walked with me and talked with me as one does with the closest of friends. And this went on and on. Tossed from one to the other, always discovering, hearing or seeing something new, or something more, hereto unseen.

As strange as this picture may appear, I find that it describes my journey. For often, God will speak to me or show me something that I have never really understood before. He will talk to me about who he is. And I will find that I see him in a totally different way. It is as if each member of the trinity takes immense delight in showcasing each of the others. That this is what life in the community of the Godhead is like. A constant joyful giving and delighting, each in the other. The thing I have discovered beyond all else is that somehow, in some extraordinary way, we too are welcomed into this community. We too are captured into this place of being and relating. We are invited and welcomed into the place where God dwells.

Wonderful triune God, we worship you. There is so much about you that we are yet to understand. So much to discover – thank you for calling us to this journey of discovery with you. Please give us ears to hear and eyes to see, that we may never miss when you are speaking. We long to know you more. Amen

So how do you understand the trinity? How does that understanding affect you and the way that you relate to God? What is God inviting you to today?

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