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How I View the “Trinity”

How I View the “Trinity”

Last updated on: September 28, 2016 at 12:01 pm by John O'Keefe

How I View the “Trinity” 2016-09-28T12:01:39-05:00 John O'Keefe

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Few things concerning the nature of the Divine will cause a bigger debate then the any idea centering on the Trinity that, in any way, shape, or form, seems counter to the Corporate line. Given the fact, that the term “Τριάς” [Trinity] is found nowhere in the Collective Narrative, how does one grab-hold of this mystery? Better yet, does one need to? It seems weird that we would divide the Divine into three parts [no matter how whole one claims the parts to be], while maintaining a fundamentally monotheistic theology. Over my walk, I have found it hard for many to grasp the idea of a Trinity, without going into the “three god debate.”

We should all admit, the idea of a Trinity is, well, weird. Why? Because, no matter who explains it, they always strive to force the Collective Narrative to say something not written outright in the Collective Narrative. Let me explain; if the idea of a Trinity was central to our faith, if it was a foundational “doctrine” of how we must see the Divine, the Divine would have said something like, ‘Dude, I’m three separate and distinct persons’ but that never happened; those who demand that all Followers of the teaching of Christ MUST believe, and shout loudly, the man-made doctrine of the Trinity are missing the reality of the Divine – and the amazing mystery of life. Over time I have had all kinds of people try to piece together an idea of a Trinity so I could ‘grasp the ungraspable,’ and get nowhere. I have had people use all kinds of metaphors to explain it to me the trinity, and, like all metaphors, they eventually break down.

One of my favorites is when people use of the “three-leaf clover” [I get this one a lot – maybe because my last name is O’Keefe they think they are sharing with me knowledge based on my culture]. The problem is, the clover thing breaks down quickly when you point out some clover has two leaves while others have four. One guy tried to use the “clover connection” and got pissed off when I explained that some have two or four leaves. He just looked at me and said, “Look, let’s say they only have three leaves.” Which is code for, “You just need to agree with me, and be impressed by my example.”

Where you stand on the idea of a Trinity does not cause me to think you are not a Follower. If you believe it, cool – if not, cool – the idea of a Trinity does not make or break the central reality that Jesus is the Christ – and living by the teachings of Christ is the core of our walk as Followers.

When confronted with the idea of a Trinity – here’s where I stand:

The Divine;
The Divine with us;
The Divine within us.

It is just that simple for me.

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