by Kathy Ross
Many of you have written in the past few months offering solutions-or reactions-to the paradox (if I may call it that) of the Trinity as discussed in this column last fall (vol. 7, no. 3). No puzzle or paradox published in this column to date has elicited such a large and diverse response. Dennis (of Knightstown, Ind.) says we should forget the nonsense about the three states of water. There is no paradox, no mystery, for the Bible clearly says that Jesus is the one and only picture of God we need. Clark (of Phoenix, Ariz.) says the paradox is solved, mathematically and obviously, by the First Homomorphic Theorem for Groups, as anyone familiar with modern algebra (unfortunately, I am not) should know. According to Hugh, this approach has merit, but it is technical. Bernice (of Tacoma, Wash.) believes the egg--shell, white, and yoke-is a God-given illustration. While Wes (of Pioneertown, Calif.) sees God as soul (hope, faith, and agape [unconditional love]), Christ as His earthly body, and the Spirit as His will. The three add up to 100% God, he agrees, but to say that each is 100% seems too high to him.
I especially appreciated the response of John Christopher*, of Camas, Wash., who anticipated controversy, even heated opposition, to whatever I might say on this sensitive topic. What follows is an abbreviated version of what he wrote:
God's "Number"
Does anyone really have "God's number"?
Some fear that saying, "I don't know all about God," shows a lack of faith, knowledge, or maturity-or all three. In reality, admitting a lack of complete knowledge is essential to a searching, growing mind. "No one has ever seen God," wrote John, Jesus's disciple. Yet some who claim to be disciples feel threatened by those who remind us that we are indeed finite creatures. One human life span is never long enough to know fully an immortal, immanent Being. So we can never afford to stop seeking to know and understand God. The very word translated (from the Greek) disciple means "learner."
Healthy minds keep reaching for new depths of understanding the cosmos and its Creator. New insights may appear contradictory to earlier ones. They may make us uncomfortable for a while. But growth only comes when we challenge our assumptions and face doubts head on. The first time an odder sibling tells us there is no Santa Claus we feel threatened, cover our ears, and run for reassurance. Eventually, however, we resort to observation and research, which leads to an even deeper level of comfort when we discover that good gifts come from loving parents.
Who could be a more loving parent than God Himself? And as Paul told the Athenians, God made all the peoples of the earth so that they would search for Him and find Him. Search we must. We can't help it. It's "in our blood." Science and religion both reflect this same innate quest for ultimate truth. But there is also resistance in both science and religion to new paradigms, new ways of perceiving reality. Epithets sometimes serve to silence probing minds.
Jesus, who likened his own teaching to "new wine" (in colorful contrast to the old, stale ideas), certainly encountered this resistance-and the epithets. Some labeled Him as demon-possessed. Some tried to stone Him when He spoke on this issue of the oneness of God. He didn't say what they expected to hear. He didn't quote the familiar verses. Instead He introduced a profound new perspective, "I and the Father are one." But didn't He often pray aloud to the Father in heaven? What could He mean by this?
When we admit that perhaps we don't know as much as we thought we did about God, or about logic, and that perhaps we do not know what we do not know, then we can begin to grow in our understanding. We have a great hope to draw us onward. "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part, then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12, NRSV). "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (1 John 3:2, NRSV).
Look for a new paradox next issue. It will be drawn from a very disturbing portion of Psalm 137. You may want to begin reading and thinking ahead.
*Mr. Christopher, who works in high tech marketing, holds a B.S.E.E. and has completed two years of graduate study in theology. He and his wife, Helen, whom he describes as his best friend and editor, enjoy life with their daughter, Jasmine (14), and son, Daniel (10).