THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED. JOHN 3:1-17

 THE FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY TRINITY, CELEBRATES THE MYSTERY OF GOD, BOTH TRANSCENDENT AND IMMINET, (ABOUT TO OCCUR). WE NOW LIVE AS WITNESSES TO GOD'S LOVE.). THOUGH THE NATURE OF GOD IS BEYOND OUR RATIONAL EXPLANATION, WE ASCRIBE GLORY TO THE ONE WHO IS HOLY, WHOSE GLORY FILLS THE EARTH. CHRISTIANS ARE BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT, AND WHEN WE MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, WE REMEMBER OUR BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF THE TRIUNE GOD. BORN ANEW IN BAPTISM, AND NOURISHED AT THE LORD'S TABLE FOR US AND ALL THE WORLD. THERE WAS A MAN OF THE PHARISEES, NAMED NICODEMUS, A RULER OF THE JEWS. THE SAME CAME TO JESUS AT NIGHT.
WHAT IS GOD LIKE?  THIS QUESTION IS DIFFICULT, ONE THAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY TRINITY ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER BY URGING US TO LOOK NOT AT WHAT GOD IS-ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, ALL-WISE BUT RATHER HOW GOD IS : IN CONSTANT RELATIONSHIP. THE HEART OF HE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
, SURELY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, IS THAT GOD IS MOST FULLY UNDERSTOOD AS A RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE. FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT ARE JOINED IN RELATIONSHIP OF UNITY AND LOVE THAT ULTIMATELY  SPILLS OUT INTO CREATION. ALL SIMILES LIMP, THEY TELLUS, AND THOSE WE USE FOR GOD LIMP THE MOST. GOD AS "FATHER" IS ONE OF THEM. THE IDEA OF FATHERHOOD IS A GOOD ONE, BUT THE REALITY WE SEE ON EARTH IS SOMETIMES QUITE DIFFERENT. SOME FATHERS ABANDON THEIR CHILDREN, BEAT THEM,  OR RIDICULE  THEM, DAMAGE THEM PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR LIFE. EVEN GOOD "FATHERS" HAVE THEIR LIMITS. THEY GET TIRED, THEY OFTEN GO AWAY, SOMETIMES THEY ARE HELPLESS AND FINALLY DIE. TO SOME PEOPLE, THEN, THE IDEA OF GOD AS "FATHER" IS BARREN., SO, FOR THAT MATTER, MAY BE THE NOTION OF "MOTHER." BUT JESUS CHOSE THAT WORD AS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE GOD.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, IS TO KEEP IN MIND ONLY THE POSITIVE QUALITIES OF FATHERHOOD AND MOTHERHOOD, AND FORGET ALL HUMAN LIMITATIONS. GOD IS A FATHER WHO WANTS CHILDREN MORE EAGERLY THAN ANY EARTHLY PARENTS EVER YEARNED TO SEE THEIR LOVE MADE VISIBLE IN A NEW PERSON ALL THAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH PARENTHOOD IS INFINITE IN GOD: BEGETTING, POURING OUT, SUSTAINING AND PROTECTING, GUIDING, ENCOURAGING. GOD IS GENTLENESS, AND STRENGTH, PATIENCE, AND JUSTICE. HE GIVES BIRTH, NURSES, AND CARRIES, WAITS EXPLAINS, LETS GO AND WELCOMES BACK, FORGIVES AND HEALS. GOD IS CREATOR, REDEEMER, TO USE HEAVY WORDS OF THEOLOGY. BUT THE WORD IS STILL JESUS WORD: "ABBA". SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT IF HE COULD REMEMBER ONLY ONE VERSE OF THE BIBLE ON THAT MYTHICAL ISLAND OF SHIPWRECK, IT SHOULD BE THIS: GOD IS LOVE AND HE WHO
 ABIDES IN LOVE ABIDES IN GOD AND GOD IN HIM (1 JOHN 4:16).  THE PROPHETS OFTEN HAD TO WARN PEOPLE OF GOD'S INCOMPATIBILITY WITH EVIL: THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR SIN WOULD OVERTAKE THEM AND THUS, GOD WOULD 'PUNISH' THEM. BUT THE LAST WORD ALWAYS ECHOED A PARENTS FORGIVENESS AND ENDLESS WELCOME. HOSEA SAYS IT WELL:
           WHEN ISRAEL WAS A CHILD I LOVED HIM
            OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON
             THE MORE I CALLED THEM
             THE FARTHER THEY WENT FROM ME.
             YET IT WAS I WHO TAUGHT EPHRAIM TO WALK,
              WHO TOOK THEM IN MY ARMS;
             I DREW THEM WITH HUMAN CORDS.
               WITH BANS OF LOVE;
              I FOSTERED THEM LIKE ONE
             WHO RAISES AN INFANT TO HIS CHEEKS;
             YET, THOUGH I STOOPED TO FED MYCHILD,
              THEY DID NOT KNOW I WAS THEIR HEALER. (11: 1-4).
               SCIENCE HAS TAKEN ALL POETRY OUT OF CREATION, LEAVING ONLY AN                         INTRICATE PATTERN OF MOLECULES AS LIFELESS AS A CLOCK. GENESIS                        TELLS IT BETTER. THE STORY OF GOD'S INSPIRED PEOPLE COMPOSED TO                         HOLD HIS CREATION IN POETIC GRACE IS A MASTERPIECE. THE PURPOSE OF                 CREATION, IT AFFIRMS, IS THE SHARING OF GOD'S GLORY. WITH HUMAN                         BEINGS.-NOT AN ABSTRACT HUMAN RACE, BUT YOU AND ME AND YOUR                       UNCLE BILL AND OLD MRS KIM.  TAKE TIME TO MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE                       TRUTHS CONTAINED IN THAT SIMPLE STORY:  THE GOODNESS OF GOD, THE                    DIGNITY OF MAN AND WOMEN, THE BEAUTY OF CREATION, THE UNITY OF                    MARRIAGE, THE HOLINESS OF THE BODY, THE FREEDOM OF OUR WILL, THE                 CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY AND OBEDIENCE, THE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
               WHY DID GOD CREATE US, HE IS HAPPY IN "COMMUNITY" OF FATHER, SON                     AND HOLY SPIRIT. ONE OF THINGS THAT MUST BE SAID; HE DOESN'T NEED                     US. IT MAY SEEM TO MAKE A SORT OF MINOR HOBBY OF GOD, LIKE A                               MILLION PEOPLE IN A STADIUM FOR A "SHOW" WHILE, HE DRIVES OFF TO                       SEEK HIS OWN DIVERSION IN FLORIDA. GOD DOES ALL HE CAN TO MAKE US                 FEEL THE WARMTH OF HIS LOVE. HE SENDS US PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGNS AND                 SACRAMENTS OF HIS LOVE. GOD COULD NOT MAKE US ANY OTHER WAY                       EXCEPT WITH A BUILT-IN ORIENTATION TO HIM. AS A FISH IS MADE FOR                           WATER AND THE HEART MADE FOR LOVE, WE ARE MADE FOR GOD (IN HIS                      (IMAGE). 

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