Syriology

By Adnan Mouhiddin

The Trinity is God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A very controversial topic which is mostly avoided by Christians but used and quoted by non-Christians – usually in their attempts to discredit the faith and to associate it with non-sense and illogic. The Trinity happens to be my favourite subject in the Christian doctrine along the Cross and Jesus.

The Trinity is God in three persons operating in perfect harmony. The Trinity is one. According to the bible, the Trinity is pretty protective of the aspect of their oneness.

The Trinity: an icon created by the Russian painter Andrei Rublev in the 15th century    

One of the main characteristics of the Trinity is socialising – something the Father, the Son (the Word) and the Holy Spirit had done before the creation. The Father had always existed, the Word (the Son, Jesus the Nazareth) existed since the very beginning too, and the Holy spirit was hovering over the water. The Trinity enjoyed the company of each other. This characteristic (socialising) extended to our days. 

The Trinity, following the creation, wanted to engage with their creation. The Trinity love to converse and exchange chats that ranges from “where are you, Adam?” to deep philosophical discussions like the one God had with Job. They really love to speak and chat. In fact, if anything, the Bible is simply a very long story of none-stop conversation between God and his creation. But then, the Trinity felt like his creation needs Him among them. The Word became man and lived among his creation to establish an everlasting legacy. The story of Jesus the Nazareth flies in the face of everything humanity had established since the beginning of its existence. It reflects the revolutionary character of the Trinity. Revolutionary in their creation, their initiatives, their methods and the whole way of their existence and functioning. The Nazareth, the Word of God, the second Person in the Trinity, was born in manger, then 33 years later his fellows wanted to install him as a king but he refused and choose, in very illogical way, to die crucified. 

The Word, Jesus the Nazareth, while on earth, reflected and mirrored the socialising character of the Trinity. The man (Jesus) really loved to attend parties and weddings. He loved attending massive gatherings. He enjoyed to converse with people and chat with them – all people from both genders and from various economic and social backgrounds. When the Word went back to the Father, the Holy Spirit performs with us, until this moment, the favourite hobby of the Trinity; to converse and Socialise.

While on earth, two kind of people annoyed the Nazareth mostly though; the bankers and the priests. Ironically – both operated from the Temple! The Nazareth realised what happens when religion and money meet, function and operate under one roof. He was pretty mad at the bankers. He dealt instantly with them – they were kicked out of the temple. However, he dealt with the priests (sometimes) with humour and deep level of sarcasm, which takes me to the second intrinsic characteristic of the Trinity; humour and sarcasm. The Bible is full of situations in which God the Father laughs. While on earth, the Word, Jesus the Nazareth constituted his very distinct sense of humour. He faced hypocrisy with humour and sarcasm. Hypocrisy annoyed and provoked him to deep level. Rather than feeling speechless, He responded in pretty comical way yet conveying sharp wisdom that stripped the fig leaf off the hypocrites. He was not interested in socialising with the priests – yet He socialised, restored, revolted for and defended the most isolated classes in His society. His conversations with those classes where pretty long and deep. The Nazareth did not pay attention to their profession, their family backgrounds nor their education – he simply did what he was very good at – he socialised!

Today, if you have close relationship with God (the Trinity), you are one of those who enjoy close ties with the Holy Spirit. You will also realise that the Holy Spirit operates in such comical and sarcastic way often while conversing with us. The Holy Spirit too happened to mirror the humorous dimension of the Trinity Character. I can recall rare times whereby the Holy Spirit communicated to me clear-cut words. Often, The Holy Spirit helps me think and reach conclusions – a method that is infused with humour.

The Trinity is beautiful being. Humanity struggles to understand the aspect of the Trinity oneness. Three yet one? I too struggle. But I struggle to understand the humanity’s struggle to understand the oneness of the Trinity. The humanity understands that our space is of three dimensions, yet it struggles to find a logic in a being (the Trinity) that fills such space with their three dimensions; the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Humanity has achieved an understanding that the sun is the star radiating heat and light – all are to be called the sun. Yet it struggles to achieve similar logical finding that the Trinity could radiate with similar sense – three Elements operating in such harmony and oneness. The same humanity, that each one of its members operates in oneness through the body, the soul and the mind, the same humanity struggles to understand the oneness of the Trinity.

Finally, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.