Hi everyone,
So I’m just about to run out the door to head to our daughter’s birthday party. Those of you with keen memories know that her birthday was actually over 2 weeks ago, but we just didn’t have the chance to celebrate until this weekend. At least the weather worked out for this indoor party we’ve planned for her.
And while I may not show this much, what with all my joking around and stuff, but I’m pretty proud of our daughter. As the youngest in our family, I know how difficult she could have it never really being able to catch up to her brothers. As our only daughter, I can imagine how she might feel like she doesn’t always fit in. But in spite of that, she made a pretty good community for herself with her friends, both from her old school and her current one.
Trust me, I know she has a lot of friends because we had a difficult time figuring out rides for today’s party. And we had to figure out which kids will ride with each other because not all of them know each other. Their connection is only through our daughter.
This diversity in relationships, this welcome among different kids and schools, this amalgamating in community reminds me of the texts we get for next week. Which incidentally are:
Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 29
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
Next week is Holy Trinity Sunday, when we explore the mysteries of the Trinity and wrestle with the fact that we probably won’t ever get it. We look at the nuances of what it might mean for our lives and perhaps learn to live with never really fully understanding. We read the readings and wonder, much like Nicodemus, how this doctrine could ever even be.
The thing is, I don’t know if it’s for us to understand. It’s not our responsibility to pick it apart, dissect it, and figure it all out. It’s not exactly necessary for us to fully get the Trinity to know that God is a God of love, relationship, and community.
I mean, that’s what we see in the Trinity, right? Three distinct figures in the Creator, the Christ, and the Counsellor who come with different gifts to share yet are so close to be considered one. One community, one body, one God. Diverse but united. Not the same but as one. Separate but together.
Sort of sounds like community to me. Like a place where we can gather from different walks of life, different backgrounds and upbringings, different skills and gifts to offer. Yet we can be considered one body with Christ, the one that joins us all, as the head; the Spirit as the heart; and God the Creator as the one leading us on paths of righteousness and peace.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash