Sunday, June 3, 2012
According to the liturgical
calendar, which describes the seasons of the year in the language of the
church, Trinity Sunday is June 3. Trinity describes a traditional teaching
(doctrine is the technical term) about God, that God is three-in-one. One God,
three persons. Trinity is the way that the church traditionally describes the
ways that God relates to the world: Creating, redeeming, empowering. Lover,
beloved, love.
The Trinitarian language of Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit was useful to the church at one time, apparently-- perhaps
more so at some times than others, more so for some cultures than others. I
don't think that Jesus was invested in doctrine. He was pretty anti-doctrine,
actually. He said of the scribes, the class of teachers in the temple, "They
tie up heap up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of
others." (Matt 23:4) If the Trinity makes sense to you, if it is light to
your path, very good. But, if the burden of ancient doctrine obscures rather
than enlightens, I say, lay that burden down.
There are other teachings about God
that are much more ancient than the doctrine of the Trinity. In the Hebrew
scriptures, God is nameless ("I am who I am," said the voice from the
burning bush) but God known in many ways: as a creator, liberator, king, rock,
fortress, mighty warrior, consoling mother, holy wisdom, lover. When people in
Bible stories think they have God figured out, God does something completely
new.
But this much is consistently true:
God is who God is, God will be who God will be, and everything works together
for good. Therefore, we live by faith, trusting in the infinite mystery.
