Earlier this week I had been doing my Bible study when I was struck with a concept I never thought of before. The trinity - such a complicated term. So many examples have been given. The reason it stuck with me is my son was also asking earlier about God and how Jesus is God and God is God. ( I used water as an example - liquid,vapor,ice - still water in the end) I asked him if he understood and he said, "do I say yes???" Umm, only if you get is Sean. I see my need to be reading God's word everyday through my kids because this is deep and I find that kids ask the deepest questions and I pray God guides my every answer. I've been meaning to share this but our wireless has been down for 2 weeks and I couldn't really see myself typing this all out on my phone. So now that Internet is up and running, my kids are in bed, I have a little quiet time to put this thought down. Here we go:
As I read Colossians 1:15-17 a picture in my mind started forming. Here are the verses: "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began and he holds all creation together."
CHRIST IS THE VISIBLE IMAGE OF GOD....hmmm. So while it doesn't mention the Holy spirit this just stirred in me a desire to really understand the trinity. Jesus is God, God the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God. They are 3 in 1. They ARE. I have read commentaries, heard teachers explain using the 3 in 1 visual aspects of water, an apple, an egg, etc. And while those helped me, I wanted something more. So as I prayed:
This made me think of Matthew 3: 16-17 "After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and setting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him."
So I prayed more - God how do I explain this to my children. How do I explain who you are. Exodus 3:14 "God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS" (other translations: I am who I am or I will be what I will be), Just tell them, I AM has sent me to you.
I am no theologian. But a picture came to my mind of a woman with people coming and going in her life. From there a poem emerged and I thought I'd share. (This could apply to guys too by the way but I'm a girl so that's why I thought of this first):
I AM:
I am me
A daughter but that is just a part of me because I grew up to be
a wife
I am Me
A wife but that is just a part of me because I am now a mother
I am me
All 3 are the makeup of who
I am.
Now while the trinity always existed I thought of the Hebrew people. For years they interacted and knew of God the Father. Almighty God. When Jesus came they were introduced to a part of God they had never seen before. He was fully man yet fully God. He and the Father are one. The Hebrews that understood this got to experience a new part of God they never knew before (and we still get to now!). Then when Jesus left the Holy Spirit was promised and given to us so that we would have God's spirit to guide us, transform us, comfort us, and seal us. The disciples got to again experience a new part of God they did not have full access too until Pentecost. So how does my poem fit into this. Well here is where I see an analogy: a person can know me as a child and then leave my life. They come back years later and I'm married. I'm not the same person they knew and yet that part of me still exists. There is a new part of me they must now get to know. If they leave again and come back years later and I'm a mom, there is now another new side of me they must get to know. This led me to write this:
I AM:
I am
God who was, who is and will always be
I am
Christ the visible image of God
who shed my blood to set free all who believe and leave
I am the Holy spirit who stays and guides you with wisdom
and peace
All 3 are the makeup of who
I AM
I'm not sure if this will offend or encourage or help but I hope that one day I can explain this as close to the truth as possible and that the Holy Spirit will fill in the rest to my children. May we all be given deeper glimpses into our Mighty, complex, deep loving, tender God.
I AM
Those who saw me as Creator and worshipped me at the altar - I AM
I AM also the Son of God who offers more than just redeeming love
I AM the Holy Spirit residing within those who believe
And all these different parts of me make up what you call the Trinity
But in the end its much more simple : I AM WHO I AM.
May we worship and love all that you are.
God bless.
