Romans
5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have
obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of
sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that
has been given to us.
we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
· One of the problems
with preaching on Trinity Sunday is the fact that anything the preacher might
say will – at the very least – skate close to heresy. Any time a church
festival celebrates a theological point, misinterpretation is not just
possible, but almost assured.
· There is little I
could say to clarify the Trinity. Much has been said by great teachers of the
faith and lots of debate had come from what has been said. There are many who
take the name “Christian” who do not hold to the idea of a three-fold God,
concentrating as they do on the oneness and unity of God. For many of us who
hold fast to what we call the orthodox faith, the Trinity remains a mystery
that is beyond our understanding.
· Yet it can be experienced
without a complete, intellectually-satisfying understanding. Even without
understanding, it can be lived.
· So, live it.
· On a small stand at
the front of the sanctuary, there is a print of an icon that depicts three
angelic beings sitting around a table. The inspiration of this image is
two-fold. The writer of the icon – a man named Andrei Rublev - wished to depict
the Trinity in a way that the viewer could comprehend. So there are three
figures, all appearing equal although dressed differently.
· He took as his
visible inspiration the meal Abraham set before the three mysterious visitors
who came to his tent to tell Abraham and his wife, Sarah, that they would have
a child together.
· They also warned
Abraham of the impending destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember
the story? Abraham then bargained with the one visitor, the one that the book
of Genesis identifies as “the Lord”, for the lives of those who were living in
those cities: “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty
righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive
it for the fifty righteous who are in it? … Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:23-25)
· It’s quite a stirring
and interesting story. The icon hints at that part of the story, but it depicts
the meal Abraham set before his visitors. When you look at it, would you wonder
if there is anything missing?
· At its best, the
theology of things like icons says that the depiction acts as a “window” on the
event depicted. Here we see a meal. Now I ask you: is there anything more
frustrating than watching other people eat? Who is more left out than a
spectator at a picnic?
· We could take it that
the figures sitting around the table are inviting us to join them at the table,
to share with them the intimacy of true hospitality seen in the meal. It’s not
easy to see but each figure carries a staff, the sort of thing that is carried
on a journey, for safety and sure footing. However they’re not going anywhere!
It is each of us, individually and communally, that are on a journey and
the Trinity is ready to accompany us all the way to the end of that journey.
Food for the journey is provided and both direction and protection are implied
by the staves that are carried. The Trinity is waiting. One view of the
theology says they are engaged in a dance together. The only thing missing is
the presence of the one looking at the icon, the one who completes the
depiction. The only thing missing is you and I. The only thing missing is us.
· The invitation is
given and the place is open. The meal is prepared and the table is spread. Our
God waits for us and wishes us to join the life of the Trinity. How to live a
life in the Trinity is something we all can do simply by loving God and loving
one another.
· That is living the
life of the Trinity. What we might not be able to understand, we can
experience. In fact, we’re invited to that experience, now, in the future, all
the way to the end of the road as we see it.
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this
grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment