PERFECT IN UNITY

There is an old horse about the guy who attended Church once a year, neither of which occasion was Christmas or Easter, but only on Trinity Sunday. Asked why that was, he responded, “Because I like to listen to the preacher’s annual futile struggle as he once again tries unsuccessfully to explain the doctrine of the Trinity.”

Although several have offered analogies to help illustrate it, there is no explanation of that Divine Mystery. One can only stand in awe of the Majesty. You are not called to understand that which is impossible to comprehend, but to worship the God-head who has been revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One God.

There have been famous analogies to help illustrate the three-in-oneness aspect of the Trinity. Like all analogies, however, they fall short of the reality. Perhaps the most famous of these is St. Patrick’s use of the three-leaf clover: three leaves of the same size and color, one clover.

One of the most fascinating explanations of the Trinity that I ever heard was from an Orthodox priest, Fr. Thomas Hopko. He spoke of what the Trinity is not. What if, he offered, the Three Persons of the Trinity woke up one morning and the Holy Spirit said to the Others, “I no longer want to be the Spirit. I want to be the Son.” And the Father said, “You can’t be, because I want to be the Son!”

For Christians, that would be the most incredible, unbelievable discussion in all eternity. It is the antitheses of everything we understand about perfect union and equality.

We do affirm this about the Holy Trinity: the Three Persons are co-eternal and equal in being, each dwelling in perfect unity with the others, without rancor or division, One God. (You will notice I did not say, “…understand this about the Holy Trinity!)

So, what does this mean for us, the Church?

The Holy Trinity is the perfect example of community or “common unity”, that is, “shared unity”, the Trinity’s common unity being that They are One God. The Church is created to be a mirror of that holy community. We are many persons with a multitude of gifts who are created to live in community as brothers and sisters to benefit the one Family of God and to glorify Him.

We begin to learn about Christian Community when we work and pray together in our parish, then joining with other Episcopal and Lutheran congregations -- especially those of our own city and diocese, and, finally, with all People of Faith nationally and worldwide.

We need Trinity Sunday (May 18 this year), not to hear the preacher stumble over the incomprehensible doctrine, but to confess our sin of failure to live and remain in community, to renew our resolve to live in the example of the Holy Trinity, and to seek Divine Grace to do so.

To the extent that we succeed in living in community now, we are preparing to live in Heaven, where perfect community is the Way of Life.