A MEDITATION FOR TRINITY SUNDAY – JUNE 12, 2022

Personal relationships are at the heart of God. Personal relationships are at the heart of being made in the image of God, of being truly human, as opposed to being merely animal. Human perfection, or maturity, has to do with healthy personal relationships.  Our understanding of the nature of God impels us to make harmony in personal relationships a high priority in our lives. Love of God necessitates love of neighbor. When a person claims to be a follower of Christ and does not value personal relationships he or she has a false understanding of God. A person may know the Bible, and may be a leader or faithful member in the church, or an accomplished theologian or an outstanding preacher, or committed to sacrificial service, or a missionary, but if he or she is hard to get on with, and is selfish, and ignores other people, then he or she isn’t truly reflecting the image of God. You can claim to be a Christian and yet be insensitive to others and hurt them by your criticism and cruel in your comments.

St. Paul ends his second letter to the Corinthians, who are dealing with divisions in their congregation. “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14)

The understanding of God as a Holy Trinity, one being in three persons, that developed in the New Testament, and was proclaimed by Jesus in his baptismal formula of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), is best likened to a family, community or society of persons. This social analogy of the mystery of the Godhead is a model for church and society. If such an understanding of God is true then we need to reflect in our relationships this image of God. By doing so we will fulfill the purpose of our creation.

God, the source of life in the universe, the reason for our existence, the prime mover of our destiny, is described in personal relational terms. If we are to aim for perfection in our lives, to become all that we are meant to be, then we will reflect these three characteristics of the Holy Trinity. What are they?

First, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of grace. He is the giver of grace. He brings, and is in himself, the free gift of God’s salvation. “For by grace we are saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) As we are freely given, so we are meant to freely give to others. As we have been freely forgiven through the Cross of Christ, we are meant to freely forgive others. Jesus said that we should forgive others seventy times seven! At the heart of God is the ability to give, to dispense mercy and compassion to those in need, to those who are unworthy.  For grace means a gift that is unearned. Grace is the miracle of unconditional acceptance, the beauty of reconciliation, the tearing down of barriers that divide us from God and one another. Grace is the open hand of God that always gives. How grace-filled is your life?

Second, the love of God. Love comes from God. God the Father is the source of love. The dynamic of the Holy Trinity is essential to the sharing of love between the three persons: the Father loves the Son through the Spirit. Love cannot be static or introverted. Love must express itself to others in personal relationships. We are made for love, to love others. Salvation liberates us from self-love and self-hatred so that we can love others. The love of God in us procreates, multiplies, loves children, and seeks to serve others. Love is the glue that binds us all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14). Love encourages and affirms others. Love does not try to tear others down. Love is constructive. Love is the open heart of God that is never closed to us. How loving is your life?

Third, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We live in the company of the Holy Spirit who makes possible the fellowship of the church. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit.” (Ephesians 4:3,4) When we are born of the Spirit we enter into the covenant family of God whose members are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a common life together which we share. The church is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Christian fellowship is Christian caring and sharing. We do not ignore the needs of one another but seek to help one another as we are able to do.

How do you relate to others? How do you get on with one another? Do you know one another? What do you know about one another? What kind of fellowship do we have? How deep is it? May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

(Ted Schroder, SOUL FOOD, Volume 2, pp.195-198)