On the Trinity (and why it still matters for us today)

There are things in life that are easy to ignore; easy to not think of in our day to day lives. Psychologist Daniel Kahnemann makes a distinction between what he calls thinking fast and thinking slow. Fast thinking includes all of the operations of the brain that happen without us thinking about; like breathing or determining distance. Thinking slow is more discursive. It includes those activities that we have to consciously think about. Something has to disrupt our lives and circumstances for our fast thinking to become slow thinking. A way of thinking about this, thought his is a bit of stretch, is when we went into lock down because of the pandemic those things that were such a part of our lives and that we took for granted had to be rethought. We had to intentionally think about things that were givens. Something has to bring our attention to those activities that we take for granted.

This is likely the case with regards to the Trinity. As Christians, the Trinity is something that we know we believe in, but honestly don’t think about that much. We do church, a prayer life, scripture reading, jogging, or working without giving much thought to how the Trinity is involved in these activities. For the most part, we as Episcopalians are pretty good and recognizing the Trinity. We say things often like, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.” Or, during the Eucharist, “We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, …,” and, “Sanctify [this bread and wine] by your HolySpirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son.” We also often recite the Nicene and Apostles Creed which are organized by the three persons of the Trinity.

This is all fine and good, but how is the Trinity helpful for us today? As Trinity Sunday is this Sunday, I thought a three point reflection would be appropriate (see what Idid there?).

First, when we pray, even if we are not cognizant of it, the Trinity is already happening. When we pray, our prayers enter into a conversation that is already taking place between the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. The Trinity is already in full force. The logic of Christian prayer is that we pray to the Father, in the name of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray all of this is already happening and we join into a life of God that is already active. Whatever you are doing, do it along with the conversation that is already taking place, which can serve as a reminder that God, even in a time of suffering and doubt, is already working in the world. We’re just joining in.

Second, the Trinity provides the soil on which discipleship grows. TheChristian life is not a matter of obeying the rules, obeying laws, or commandments, but about relationships. This is what St Matthew’s Jesus teaches us, especially in the beatitudes. Go make disciples, means, at least to a certain degree, go and develop relationships that grow Christ in yourself and others. But, this discipleship comes with great risk. On the one hand, the risk that comes with opening up ourselves to others, being vulnerable, and possibly being hurt. This is life in the community of the baptized. But there is also the risk of living our lives ina way that makes sense only in light of Jesus’s being raised from the dead? We are called to be disciples, a kind of life that is characterized by struggle as we share in Christ’s death of the Cross. As I mentioned in a homily recently, without the possibility of suffering, there is no possibility for courage. One of my favorite philosophers, Josef Pieper, once wrote, “to be courageous means: as one who empirically seems the weaker, to oppose injustice and be prepared to incur some disadvantage, whether in terms of con-descending treatment in public or being ignored altogether.” But Jesus is quick to add, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” In the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit, we become disciples and in turn are given the task to go and make disciples, thus enacting justice in the world through relationships with others.

Third, the Trinity is directing us towards unity. To live in peace. This is a unity, like the divine persons, that remain distinct while still being one. Like Christ, who in unity was very God, very human, we maintain our sense of self while still being united to others.  We do not become a collective devoid of personal individuality or identity; we also do not become so particular the we are not part of a community. This is made possible, as StPaul teaches, in “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit being with us.” We are called to a unity that resembles the God-head, that looks like the incarnateChrist.

The take home is this.Sometimes we don’t recognize something until our attention is brought to it.Pay attention to the Trinity. Look for clues of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our worship service (they show up a lot), and in our lives. Also, we do this recognizing of God along with a God who is triune, and a God who is already active in our lives and in the world; we do it with others in relationships where we point each other to the divine with the hope that we become more like Jesus; and we do it with the goal of unity, of becoming the church. When we are a church that lives our lives to the Father, in theSon, through the power of the Holy Spirit we do life together. We are not on our own; we are never alone. We can have hope because we are the church. Because, as theologian Stanley Hauerwas notes, “the church…is but the name of a people who have been [formed together] to worship the Father, the Son, and the HolySpirit.”

In light of the above, perhaps the best way to end this reflection is to simply pray…

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth;
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, ourLord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
        and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
        was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.