Submitted by Robin Murray, Castlegar United Church
The foundation of Christianity is based on the idea of God as a Holy Trinity. You may have heard this as the phrase, “Father, Son and Holy Ghost” or the more contemporary “Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.” The point is that God is presented as three in one — not three separate entities or three parts of a whole, but as three distinct persons in an inseparable trinity, or a Triune God.
When I returned to Christianity after 20 years away from the church, I had to really think this idea through. I had good friends who were Unitarian, meaning they view God as just One, so while they have many similar traditions, are not technically Christians. And then, of course, there are the Jewish and Muslim faiths, which proclaim the One God as well, recognising the importance of Jesus, but not his divinity.
So, why did I feel the call to Christianity? It had to be more than just growing up celebrating Christmas.
After some exploration and study, I realized that the key to the understanding of a Triune God for me, lay in the idea of relationship. The Holy Trinity to me, means that God’s very core, God’s very essence, is about relationship. The universe reflects this truth, as it is all about relationship. Gravity holds planets in relationship to stars, forming solar systems. Stars swirl around one another, forming galaxies. Magnetism pulls electrons and protons together forming atoms. And in between, ecosystems keep our planet functioning with intricate relationships between plants, animals, water and soil.
The exciting thing for me about the Trinity, is that we, as part of God’s creation, have been invited into the holy relationship! We have been invited to become co-creators of a world that is heaven on earth. We accept this invitation when we ask God into our lives and welcome the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, seeking to live more Christ-like lives. Our self-destructive natures then start diminishing, as we strive to live in right relationship with the God, the earth and one another.
The church, for me, is an extension of that holy relationship. I gather with others interested in fostering many different aspects of right relationship, committing together, and dedicating time to contemplation of what that looks like in our individual lives. Then we support one another in living out the things we learn together. May it be so.
READ MORE: FAITH: Why I participate in organized religion
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