Trinity - partialism

As we're fast approaching Trinity Sunday, I thought I'd spend three days thinking about the Trinity.
Or, more, what the Trinity isn't.

It seems especially topical at the moment, as we live in such uncertain times.
We like to understand things. Answers and certainty give us reassurance and comfort. But so much of life at the moment is uncertain.

I wonder if reflecting on the Trinity, which we can never fully understand, might give us new insights into pandemic living?

The mystery of God is to be embraced - if we could fully understand God, then God wouldn't be God.
Our human words can never sum up everything about God.

Fortunately, it's much easier to say what God isn't.
One of these comes from analogies for the Trinity like an egg, or three-leaf clover, or a Jaffa cake.

All things that are made up of three parts.

Shell, yolk, white

Three leaves

Chocolate, jam, cake

...Like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Except, God isn't three separate parts....

you can't separate the persons of the Trinity in the same way that you can separate an egg, split up a clover into three individual parts, or eat all of the chocolate or cake first on a Jaffa cake.





(While remembering God isn't three separate 'bits' making up one God, the rest of today's posts will focus on things with three parts:  )


In prayer today, why not try making some prayers that have only three words?
There can be an amazing amount of meaning and depth even when only a few words are used...


Thank you, God

Lord have mercy

God help me

For God's glory

If you will

Change me, Lord

...what else might you pray today?




♫  Today's suggestion:     Henry Purcell's   Fantasia in three parts upon a ground