THEOLOGY  AND  THE TRINITY

INTRODUCTION

Today is Trinity Sunday - so the title of my homily is, “Theology and the Trinity.”

T and T….  Theology and the Trinity

OUR GOD IS THREE PERSONS - BUT ONE GOD

Our God is a Trinity: Three Persons - but One God.

That’s quite an act of faith. That’s quite a belief. That’s quite different from all other religions. 

Yet we’re monotheists - mono meaning "alone " or “one” - "Theos" meaning  "God' - so one God - but 3 persons.

If we come into this church through the main doors, we make that act of faith in the vestibule before coming into this main part of our church - putting our hand in the holy water font - and making the sign of the cross, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

It moves me when I see a parent coming into church - teaching a little kid that act of faith - right from the beginning - lifting  a little kid up - to take the holy water - in which he or she might have been baptized - and saying, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

A father was telling me just last evening at the baptism of his daughter how his little son would crawl over to the stainless steel bowl of water they have in their kitchen for their dog - dip his hand in the water - and make the sign of the cross. We learn so much by imitation and example.

We Christians learn that belief - that teaching - right from the beginning.

As this dad was telling me about his son dipping his finger in the dog water bowl - I noticed how much his two sons look like him.

The scripture text: “made in the image and likeness of God” hit me when I noticed the resemblance of the father to his two sons.

Save that text - for when I get into some theology of the Trinity - later on in this sermon. Relax I’m aiming for 10 minutes.

FIRST SOME THEOLOGY

I’ve discovered that many people have in their homes a copy of C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity. This 1943 book - based on a series of radio talks - came out in separate parts  - and then was put into a small book.

People have been buying it ever since. When I used to give convert instructions - way before R.C.I.A., I used this book, Mere Christianity, as my instruction book and it wasn’t even Catholic.

It’s a remarkable book - a paperback - still available in Barnes and Noble - and still well worth - not just buying - but reading and studying it. It presents theology.

In Book 4, in the first chapter, entitled, Making and Begetting, C.S. Lewis gives two marvelous examples about the importance of theology - when it comes to religion.

The first example goes like this. C. S. Lewis tells the story about giving a talk on theology to the R.A.F. the Royal Air Force of England - and this old timer - got up and said, “I’ve no use for all that stuff.  But, mind you, I’m a religious man too. I know there’s a God I’ve felt him; out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that’s just why I don’t believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone’s who’s met the real thing they are seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!”

C.S. Lewis then says, “In a way I agree with the man.”

I would add that I’ve heard that same sort of comment from lots of teenagers and lots of adults.

They are not here in church with us this morning. Some actually might be out in their sailboats or walking park trails or enjoying the boardwalk or sitting on a back porch with a cup of coffee looking at the rain - or they are at Ocean City  - if it’s not raining.

I heard a niece say clearly to me that playing tennis on a Sunday morning - and then coffee and talking with my friends afterwards about life is much more life giving than sitting in some church with some priest telling me what to do from a pulpit.

I’m sure we’ve all had similar experiences.

Then C.S. Lewis follows up his comment of agreeing with the R.A.F. gentlemen who had a God experience in the desert at night. He begins to theologize - meaning “words” from “logos” about God “Theos”.

He says there is a world of difference between standing on a beach - looking out at the Atlantic Ocean - hearing the waves hit the beach - feeling the salt sea air - compared to looking at a piece of colored paper called a map.

Then he says, however,  the map is based on what hundreds and thousands of people sailing the real Atlantic have found out.  It gives massive amounts of experiences as real as what the one guy standing on the beach has experienced.

Then comes the kicker. If you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. The person on the beach can be content as  long as he simply loves walking on the beach. Glimpses at the water are much more fun than looking at a map. Then C.S. Lewis, the Englishman, says, “”But the map is going to be of more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America.” [page 136]

His obvious message is that theology is like the map.  It is based on hundreds - all kinds of people’s - experiences of being in touch with God.

NOW BACK TO THE TRINITY

In the book of Genesis, we have a great statement that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

When I was going for one of my Master’s Degrees at Princeton Theological Seminary, I almost too a semester’s course on just that phrase: We are made in the image and likeness of God. [Genesis 1:27]

That would have been about 15 two hour classes on just that phrase, “Made in the Image and likeness of God.”  It’s one of my lifetime regrets that I didn’t take that course, but we can’t do it all.

I mentioned earlier about the father I met last evening at the baptism of his daughter - and how his two sons were made in his image and likeness.

I heard the same thing about my brother and I looking alike and we both looked like our dad.

Anybody who has taken the time to observe family dynamics - knows ways people are like their moms and dads - and ways they are not.

In this homily let me present one small way we can be and live in the image and likeness of God.  Remember I said, one could take 13 weeks of 2 hour classes on such a theological theme. A sermon is 10 minutes - at times.

A stress in this homily is the call for all of us to be theologians - to stop babbling about religion - and do some deeper thinking about our religion.

The Book of Genesis also says, “It’s not good to be alone.”

It’s when we are in relationships - when we are connected - to each other - as family, husband and wife, friends, buddies, team mates, associates, that we get glimpses of God - and not just when walking on the beach.

Another key book that has influenced my way of thinking is Martin Buber’s book, I and Thou.

He says that many of our relationships are I-It’s.

He says if we treat others as its - and not thou’s - then we are all alone.

The loner is lost. The odd man or odd woman who is  out of touch with others - is losing out on one of life’s greatest blessings: relationships.

Relationships - and lack thereof - is where the action is or should be.

People can go through life without connecting - without looking another in the eye. We can be all alone without any connection.

I don’t know about you, but I am working on this every day - because I can be babbling here in the pulpit - or standing right in front of you - without any connection to you. I can make the other objects - and not subjects.

I can be talking about God - talking of God - without any connection to God - with God - in God - as well as others.

Relationships - connections - people - people with people - this is life.

Just sit on a bench in the mall or Ego Alley in Annapolis - or at the airport - or anywhere - and watch - look - notice - everybody is connecting to everyone with their cell phones.

Listen to the content of conversations - after weather, sports, politics, we are all talking about people.

Listen to our inner conversations - all day long - while driving - while at Mass - at work - we’re all talking to ourselves about people we’re related to, connected to, or having problems with - or supposed to be connected with.

QUICK QUESTIONS - AND END THIS BABY

Uh oh. My 10 minutes are almost up.

So a few quick comments.

Christian theology states and teaches and proclaims that God is 3 persons in deep, deep mysterious communion and connection with each other. This is so much - that they are one God - 3 persons.

Husband and wife - that’s the call - to be that with each other - two becoming one.

Family - that’s the call - to be that with each other. 3, 4, 5, more to be one with each other.

Friendships, relationships, that’s the call.

When we experience that - God is telling us - the sky at night in the desert - or the ocean - at the beach - in the early morning - is beautiful - beautiful - even playing a great game of tennis on a Sunday morning - but it’s in relationships - when people are connected - subject to subject - I to Thou’s - that we can have God experienced experiences.

When we get glimpses of that, we’re experiencing the theology of the trinity and a touch of eternity.