The Eternal Tripod

Over the years there ‘s been so many ways of explaining how Father, Son and Spirit work together.  St. Patrick famously used the three leaved shamrock and every preacher faced with Trinity Sunday tries to find their own explanation.

Some of you may be, or may know, keen photographers.  There are some types of photos which require the camera to be perfectly level and perfectly still while everything is lined up and prepared.  To do this you need a tripod – three legs which can be extended from a central point. Adjusted individually, they need to work together and be used together to work properly.  When the legs are adjusted properly a tripod is secure and steady, totally dependable.   Put your camera on a tripod and it will be safe and give you the picture you want.  Try it with only one or two legs, however, even try using it without properly adjusting all three legs and it’ll simply be very unsteady at best or fall over at worst and everything will be ruined.

God is like that for us.  He reveals Himself to us as three parts of a whole and we need to understand the importance of all three parts and open ourselves up to an understanding of all three.  

We often celebrate one aspect of the Trinity, and that is fine, but let’s not forget that our God is a three-piece jigsaw and when we pick up one piece, we need to remember that the picture is not complete without the other two.

Prayer: God of wholeness, give us an understanding and a vision of you in the circle of your Love.  Fill our hearts with joy and wonder as we draw closer to you.  Give us a full revelation of your completeness so that we can be stable and settled in our witness and our work.  Amen.