Trinity

By Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector

In just a few minutes David Santiago will be baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And today is Trinity Sunday, where we celebrate the Trinitarian nature of our God as three distinct beings in one, and one in three. As the early Church shifted from a grassroots movement into more of an institution, those in leadership spent a lot of time debating the metaphysics of the trinity. And while I imagine that is an interesting course of study, it’s not actually what matters.

We don’t need to understand how it works, but we can understand why it works. Our God, the creator of the heavens and the earth is a relational being.
With creation, with all living forms, and with us, humanity. Fragile and tender, innovative and creative beings made in the image and likeness of God. Yet before that relationship comes God's relationship with their child, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. These three in one are in an eternal relationship with one another, and we, and all creation, have been invited into that relationship. 

From the get go God has been concerned about our relationships. With them, with one another, with this fragile earth our island home. It shows up in every verse of scripture. It shows up in God taking on human flesh to live as we live, and love as we love, in the life of Jesus. And it shows up in the Spirit, whose wisdom and gifts guide us.

Throughout our faith journey we may connect with one being of the Trinity more than another - or - one may show up more clearly during particular seasons in our lives. 

As a small child, with a wonderful mother and an absent father, I experienced God as an encompassing parental God, who was a comfort and a strength. Especially when things were uncertain. Now I’ll admit, in my mind’s eye, this parental God, who I did think of as Father, looked quite a lot like Michelangelo's depiction of God in his painting on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. An older guy, with a long beard, floating around, maybe on a cloud, and pointing his finger to make things happen. When people would describe God as harsh, condemning, and judgmental, and lift verses from scripture to make their point, I wouldn’t argue with them, but knew in my own heart it wasn’t true. 

In my own experience, our parental God - whether we think of them as a Father or Mother -  is much more akin to parables Jesus told in the gospel. A father running to his long lost child, to embrace him in arms of love - no matter what had transpired before. What mattered was his child was ready to return to being in a relationship. Or a mother hen, protecting her chicks. These characteristics of love and a desire to parent and protect us, are the attributes that have always struck me as most essential about God, our Parent. 

As a young person, who struggled with what I knew to be true of God and what some of the adults in my life said was true of God (harsh, judgemental), I found myself shifting to Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus so clearly depicts God’s dream calling us to be in relationship with one another. He comes alongside the odd ducks, weirdos, and messy people and calls them into the most intimate of friendships, walking alongside one another until his death and resurrection. 

In a world where we so often feel like the odd duck, the weirdo, or the screw up, it felt so very clear that Jesus accepts us and celebrates us for who we are, as we are. Jesus doesn’t want the mask we put on for everyone else. Rather, Jesus sits beside us and shares a meal with us as we are our most authentic, messy, and fragile selves. And thanks be to God. These characteristics of radical love, acceptance, and friendship, are the attributes that have always struck me most about Jesus. A friend who is also our teacher and mentor, showing us what is possible when we live and love in community for the greater good of God’s world. 

In early mid-life, I began to take such a comfort in the Holy Spirit. Who for me often shows up as that peace that surpasses all understanding, or that strong sense of urgency and call to take action, whose very presence is inescapable. She is with us, guiding us forward, healing us, softening our hearts, and helping us to discern the gifts God is asking for us to share with one another. The Holy Spirit is the being of God that I see most clearly in our shared common life. 

Here at James and Andrew, the Spirit shows up in countless ways each week. 
Though some of the most notable moments have been when our two parishes merged to become James and Andrew, when we resumed in person worship after covid, and the experience of walking through Holy Week together and discovering the empty tomb on Easter morning. The Holy Spirit is what knits us together to be the body of Christ, right here, right now, and She is what knits us to all who have gone before, and all those who will come after us. These characteristics of discernment, peace, gentleness, guidance, healing, softening, and weaving people together in relationship are the attributes that have always most struck me about the Holy Spirit. 

This is my take, but every person of faith has their own lived experiences with the Trinity - our three in one and one in three. I wonder, how have each of you experienced the Trinity? Which of its distinct members have been easiest to relate to? Which ones are the most challenging? Why do we think that might be? 

Wherever you are in your own relationship with the Trinity, I would invite us to hold onto the most essential piece - relationship. Our Triune God longs to be in relationship with us, and longs for us to be in relationship with one another. As a whole our society does not seem to value genuine and authentic relationships. Instead our society places value in things, information, money, power, and status. 

Even more concerning, is we allow ideologies - conservative and liberal - to divide and end relationships. And it brings such devastating consequences as we saw yesterday when Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed, while Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette were attacked and injured separately. Whatever our individual beliefs and ideologies, we must put relationships first. We don’t have to agree, but we need to try to remain in conversation with one another. That means continuing to try and be in a relationship with loved ones, friends, and acquaintances who voted for someone that we did not vote for.  Or who believe different things about God, and every other justice issue we care about. I know this is a hard ask, but it is what our Triune God asks of us. 

When I was in seminary, the question of marriage equality was having a second go-round in Maine. We were living in a town and attending an Episcopal Church that were both known as safe havens for same-gender couples. Our priest and his partner lived in the rectory, and they were the only out couple doing so and it had been a big deal at the time. I felt fiercely protective of them, their love, and the love of many other couples in our parish family and community. 

But my best friend at the time, really believed marriage equality was a sin. I tried to be in conversation - well, I tried to help her understand why she was wrong. But her heart was hardened on the matter. And so was mine. 

At the time, I didn’t have the emotional intelligence or internal capacity to hold such ambiguity. For me it was all or nothing. And so I walked away from that friendship, and years of joyful memories. Sadly, my friend would have been willing to stay in a relationship, to stay in conversation; but it was all or nothing for me. 

While I will always stand on the side of love, and feel the same fierce protection for anyone marginalized by our society, I’ve learned it is a mistake to end relationships for ideological differences. Because how can we ever find common ground if we can’t even be in conversation?

I imagine I’m not the only one who has made this kind of mistake.  What friend or family or church member have you avoided or stopped being in a relationship with because of ideological differences? What would it look like to pray for the Spirit, for the Triune God, to soften our hearts towards those persons? How might we be changed by walking alongside those we disagree with? How might we help bring about God’s dream by walking in Love with all our neighbors, especially those we disagree with? Amen. 

Lectionary Readings

• Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
  
• Romans 5:1-5
  
• John 16:12-15
  
• Psalm 8
  

or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2)

---