FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 - TRINITY AND ST. PATRICK

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

On Fridays, I bring up some spiritual thoughts.  These are my own.  I do come from a Judeo-Christian background and today will be pretty much just Christian.

Some years ago I was asked to be a guest speaker in a Philosophy of Religion class.  I was to speak on Christianity (with a focus on Catholicism).  The professor during the semester would have others - Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, etc.  I guessed the class was probably mostly “Christian” with a good minority of Jewish students since that was the makeup of the general university student body.

I talked about Jesus as the promised Messiah for the Jewish people - born in King David's line- with many promises fulfilled.  (Some of those promises - “A virgin shall conceive”, “He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor”, “He will be from Bethlehem”, and more).

After my introduction, it was time for questions and answers.  

Almost the first question was “Why are you a polytheistic individual - that is, why do you believe in multiple gods?

While I didn’t say it then, my brain says “Excuse me.  What did you just ask me?  Multiple Gods? No way.”

I did answer with something like, “No, I believe in One God in three entities - or in three persons”.

The student who asked the question was right back at me - “You are polytheistic - multiple gods.  You have a Father God, you have a human God, and you have a Holy Spirit God.  You have three Gods.”

I tried to answer “No, I have one God that is in three persons” - but I was on the defensive and lost.

*****

On this 17th day of March 2023, the Irish celebrate St. Patrick.  One day when he was confronted with confusion about three gods, Patrick picked a shamrock and held it up.  The stem blossomed out into three ‘leaves’.  The plant had three things that weren’t separate leaves but conjoined to be one item. (See the shamrock above).  One stem, three bumps on the stem.

Another analogy is with water.  Water can be a liquid; water can be a solid (we call it ice), and water can be heated and become steam.  Three forms of water - but really just one.  Take the ice and put it in a bowl and it will become a liquid again.  Take the steam as it comes out of the teakettle and have it hit a cold metal object and it will condense into water.

*****

As I view God - from my perspective - and yes, it comes largely from my upbringing and heritage - there is a creator side to God.  We say “God the Father” - the creator of all that is seen and unseen.  I’ve been amazed at the estimation that there are 8 TRILLION galaxies, and each of these galaxies can have millions (or billions of stars), and each of those stars can have planets.  So, our star (we call it ‘the sun’) is one of the stars that make up the Milky Way and it has eight planets circling it (as we call that ‘the solar system’).  

With 8 trillion galaxies and billions of stars in a universe that approaches the concept of ‘infinity’.  The God that I envision is infinite - no limits.  

And, on this small planet off one of the minor suns in one of those trillions of galaxies we believe that somehow this infinite God didn’t want us to be totally on our own, so came as a man.  And, then that infinite God didn’t want us to be alone ever and sent something like a conscience.  BUT - it all is unity.  I can barely imagine one galaxy (I can understand one sun and eight planets - but trillions and trillions?) 

How did something come from nothing?  Was there ever truly ‘nothing’?  Will our sun die someday, will our planet die someday, and will all people die someday?  But will everything - all 8 trillion galaxies end -yes and no.  I think there will be new galaxies, new stars, new planets, new organizations, and new “people”.  

*****

Our fingers leave unique fingerprints, and our DNA is unique. I want to suggest that even the smallest known thing - the atom - has God’s DNA in it.  The air I breathe has atoms of God in them, and my skin has atoms of God in it.  Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” And the answer is I cannot get away from God!!

*****

So, to me, on St. Patrick's Day, I say “Yes, I believe” - and also say “It is so far beyond me, that I am accepting this on faith”.  I accept the concept of three entities in one relationship - of three petals on one shamrock plant.  But - it really is only ONE GOD.

Oh well, I tried (again).

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

PERFECT LOVE IS SO AMAZING AND SO BEYOND ME

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, MARCH 17, 2023

(But, can we really trust atoms to have God’s design in them?  After all, they are "liars" - yes, they “make up” everything!!! <humor>”)