Author: philipmcparland@hotmail.com

Experiencing the Trinity

Christians believe that God is a Trinity of Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  In other words, Christians believe that there is a community life in the reality we call God.  To find out what this means we can read the Scriptures.  But we can also explore our human experience.  If God has created us and our world, and if God is Trinity, then the Trinitarian life of God must be reflected in our human lives in all sorts of ways.

An obvious way is our social nature.  We are social beings.  We create relationships and we sustain relationships.  In fact, without relationships we wither and die emotionally, even physically.  John Donne once said that no man is an island unto himself.  We cannot survive in isolation.  It is in living with others, it is in loving others, that we find meaning and that we become our true selves.

Another way is the power of cooperation.  When it comes to a project, a task, an undertaking, the best results are usually achieved when there is cooperation, when people work together as a team.  Ask any sports person, any project manager, any government and they will tell you that the team effort is the best effort, it is the most fruitful and successful effort.  It is also the effort that gives most satisfaction and fulfilment to all those involved.

Then there is the unity of creation.  One of the things we are becoming more aware of today is the way creation functions.  The created world is interdependent.  One part of it affects another.  For example, the cutting down of the rain forests in South America has an impact on climate patterns in Europe and Africa.  The laws of nature are finely balanced and when they are allowed to work together in unity and harmony they fulfil their purpose.

And finally, there is this attempt by a woman to describe what trinity means in her life:

“I am a daughter and a wife and mother – three things, yet I am one totality.  To my parents, I would always be their child.  To my husband, a companion and a mate.  To my children, the one who gave them birth and nurtured them till they reached adulthood.  I seem to each of them a different person.  They each know a different kind of ‘me.’  But I am one, within myself a trinity and each of them finds unity in me.”

With Empty Hands

Our fundamental stance before God is one of receptivity.  All that is essential in our spiritual lives comes from God.  Let’s begin with God’s presence. We do not create God’s presence in our lives.  God’s presence in our lives is given.  In God we live and move and have our being.  As Hopkins so aptly put it, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God.”  Without God’s presence we would cease to exist.  God’s presence is a loving presence, a creative presence, a sustaining presence.  At every moment of every day God is loving us, creating us, sustaining us.

Similarly we do not create a relationship with God.  The relationship God has with us, with each of us, is given.  It is a natural consequence of God’s presence in our lives.  God’s presence creates relationship because God is Relationship.  To be God is to be in relationship.  This is what we mean when we say that God is Trinity.  Whether we are aware of it or not God is in relationship with us.  Spirituality is our discovery of this relationship.  It is our acceptance that we have received the gift of being in relationship with the Love that includes all things.

And then there is this Unconditional Love. We do not make God love us.  God’s love for us is free, unmerited, gratuitous.  It is pure gift.  The spiritual life is not about winning God’s approval and God’s favour.  It is not about making ourselves acceptable to God.  Our efforts, our good deeds do not force God to love us.  God’s love for us is given.  It is a fact.  It is with good reason that the late Henri Nouwen said that life is a short opportunity to say ‘yes’ to the unconditional love of God and death is a full coming home to that love. 

This is why we need a spiritual path that helps us accept the unconditional love of God.  The essential movement or flow of our spiritual lives is from God to us, not from us to God.  The spiritual life is not an ascending movement.  It is a descending movement.  We must learn to pray with open and empty hands. The foundation of the spiritual life is an acceptance that all is grace, all is gift, all is given.

Brother and Lord

“Jesus wept.”  This is what Jesus did when he heard about the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:3-45). It surely testifies to his humanity.  Jesus is the Son of Man, our brother.  He knows our struggles, our sufferings, our joys, our hopes, our pain, our grief.  He is our compassionate companion, the one who walks alongside us.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).  It is his humanity that makes Jesus so approachable. We should never doubt that he is accessible and easy to reach.

Of course, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus showed himself to be more than our brother.  He brought Lazarus back to life, freed him from the chains of death.  Jesus is the Son of God as well as the Son of Man.  He is the Lord of creation, the one who has power over life and death.  To Martha, the sister of Lazarus, he said, “I am the resurrection.  If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).  On Easter Sunday Jesus himself broke the chains of death and rose to a new way of living and loving beyond our wildest imagining.  Because of his resurrection he is the source of eternal life.

In life and in death we human beings are vulnerable and powerless.  We need someone who can support us in our struggles and who can save us from annihilation.  At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus reveals himself as a compassionate Saviour.  In life he is at our side as a faithful friend.  In death he is our hope of risen glory. Among the great world religions Jesus is indeed unique.  He is both the Son of Man and the Son of God, our brother and our Lord.

Jesus, I believe that you are my brother and my Lord.
Love me in my imperfection.
Strengthen me in my weakness.
Guide me in my uncertainty.
Forgive me in my failure.
Celebrate with me when times are good,
Carry me when they are difficult.
And when I die give me a share in your risen life.
Amen.

Jesus and Suffering

The experience of suffering is common to all of us. No one goes through life without bearing the weight of the cross.  As Christians we believe that the burden of the cross is shared by Jesus.  During the last few days of his life Jesus came to know the pain of suffering in its many forms and with great intensity.

Throughout his trial and crucifixion Jesus endured terrible physical pain.  His body was torn apart by scourging, thorns, nails and the weight of the cross.  The strain on his limbs while he hung on the cross must have been immense.  Hundreds of years earlier a psalmist had foretold the experience of the suffering servant when he wrote, “All my body is sick, spent and utterly crushed.”  Crucifixion was indeed a cruel form of torture and death, the most shameful in the ancient world.

Then there was the emotional suffering.  During those last days of his life Jesus must have felt rejection and great loneliness.  The very people he had come to help, those he had served tirelessly and patiently, now turned their backs on him.  The same crowds who had hailed him as king on Palm Sunday now acted as if they did not know him or want anything to do with him. In the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “He was rejected and despised by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is.53:3). This rejection must have been very painful for Jesus.  We all need to know that we are accepted, yet here was Jesus experiencing that awful feeling that neither he nor his ministry were understood.

The experience of rejection brings with it the pain of loneliness.  For Jesus, this loneliness was intense because even his closest friends deserted him. Yes, his own group of companions, the ones who lived with him, eat with him, travelled the roads with him, witnessed his miracles, heard his stories and shared his most intimate secrets also abandoned him and even denied that they knew him.  On the night of his arrest Jesus was left completely alone without the human support and comfort which is so important to all of us especially at difficult times in our lives.

For Jesus, as indeed for many of the saints who came after him, the most intense form of suffering was surely darkness of spirit.  It is the suffering experienced by the psalmist who prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress.”  To describe this form of suffering is difficult.  It is an inner darkness which comes over the mind and heart leaving them without any sense of the presence of God or of consolation.  St John of the Cross, the Carmelite mystic, called it, ‘the dark night of the spirit.’  Whatever way we attempt to describe this experience, it is certain that trust in God is all there left to hold on to. The ways Jesus suffered are no different to ours. Holy Week offers us an opportunity to unite our sufferings with his and indeed to draw inspiration and strength from his example.

True Religion

It seems to me that much of religious practice is about our attempts to earn God’s approval and God’s favour.  We use rituals and good works to win God’s love.  We see these rituals and good works as requirements for pleasing God.  But there can also be something else about our religious practice, something perhaps more subtle.  It is this. Our religious practice can make us feel that we are better than others.  It can feed our egos. 

This seems to be what the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is about.  The Pharisee was trying to earn God’s love by pointing out all the meritorious things he was doing.  But he was also judging the tax collector beside him.  In his prayer he said to God, “I am doing good things, this tax collector isn’t.  I am better than him. I deserve your love, he doesn’t.”  In contrast, the tax collector’s prayer was very different.  He said to God, “I am a failure.  I haven’t done anything to deserve your love.  Have mercy on me. I need you to love me unconditionally.”

Interestingly, what Jesus describes in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector is the very same thing he describes in the story of the father and his two sons, known as the Story of the Prodigal.  In this story the elder son who was the dutiful, obedient and dependable son said to his father, “Look, for years, I have done all these things for you.  But my wasteful and reckless brother, your youngest son, has done absolutely nothing.  I am better than him. I have earned your love, he hasn’t.”  In contrast, the younger son said to his father, “I have made a mess of my life, I have lost all the money you gave me, I have failed, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  What was the father’s response to both?  It was this: “Neither of you have to earn my love.  It is free.  My love for you is gift, not achievement.  It is unconditional.”

We are all carrying a very deep wound within us.  It is the wound of conditional love.  This wound is the cause of our low self-esteem.  It makes us feel bad about ourselves.  It creates our negative attitudes towards others. It also has us believe that love is not free, that it has to be earned.  In the religion of Jesus God’s love is pure gift, offered without conditions and requirements. If we are taking Jesus seriously we need to stop trying to earn God’s love because we do not need to earn God’s love.  Jesus is adamant: “My Father’s love is not something that can be earned.  It is something that you just need to accept.  Let yourself be loved freely. If you don’t, you may end up arrogant like the Pharisee and angry like the elder son.”     

Only unconditional love can heal the wound of conditional love.  True religion is about exposing ourselves to the unconditional love of God.  This is the religion of Jesus.

Climbing a Mountain

You may have had the experience of climbing a mountain.  Two things are helpful if you are to be a mountain climber.  The first has to do with determination.  Before you set off you have to make up your mind that, come what may, you are going to persevere until you reach the top.  Having a strong determination means that when you meet obstacles and difficulties you will be able to make the necessary sacrifices to overcome them.

The second thing that is helpful when you are climbing a mountain is the knowledge that a whole new vista opens up to you at the summit.  At the top of a mountain you experience a great sense of achievement and fulfilment.  But you also see the world below in an entirely new way.  Your view of the world is unimpeded, a full 360 degrees.  Indeed, on the mountaintop not only do you experience the world differently, you also experience yourself differently.  You feel good about yourself and who you are.

The season of Lent reminds us that the Christian life is a lot like climbing a mountain.  To live as a follower of Jesus we need a strong determination and a willingness to make sacrifices.  Living the Christian life can be quite demanding.  It challenges our tendency to indulge ourselves and it invites us to respond to others in a loving way.  Without a discipline of perseverance and generosity it is difficult to stay faithful to the way of Jesus.

Of course, like the journey up a mountain, the Christian journey also has a happy ending.  It leads to what we call resurrection.  At the end of our Christian pilgrimage in this world a whole new other world will be opened up to us.  We will see in a way we have never seen before.  We will see God face to face.  We will see ourselves reflected in God and we will also see other people reflected in God.  Indeed, we will find ourselves saying the same thing as Peter when he was enveloped by the presence of God on Mount Tabor: “Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here.  Let this be our home forever” (see Matthew 17:4).

What often helps mountain climbers persevere is an eye on the summit.  If they keep looking up to the mountaintop, the goal of their efforts, they are more likely to succeed in their climb.  Likewise, it is important for us as we struggle to remain faithful to the Gospel not to lose sight of the destination of our journey; heaven and a share in the risen life of Jesus.

A Programme for Lent

It is no secret that the religion of Jesus can be summed up in the word love.  In his Sermon on the Mount he focuses on three things which could be described as a practical programme to help us grow in love.  These are the three things the Christian Churches invite its members to practise in earnest each year during the season of Lent.  They could be described as the non-negotiable essentials of the Christian religion.  They are prayer, almsgiving and fasting. 

“When you pray, go to your private room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in that secret place” (Matt 6:6).  What a beautiful and accessible description of the activity of prayer!  Spend time on your own with your Father. During this time thank him for his presence in your life and for looking after you.  Talk to him in a personal way about what is happening in your life.  Ask him for the things you need, especially the things you need to help you develop a loving heart.  And, perhaps most importantly of all, hear him tell you that he loves you unconditionally, as you are.  For Jesus prayer is nothing more and nothing less than our personal act of surrender to the Father; to the Father’s love, to his help, to his healing. 

Perhaps the thing we most associate with Lent is fasting.  Jesus understood the value of fasting and promoted it in his teaching.  He knew there is a tendency in human nature towards attachment and addiction that is not healthy and balanced. Jesus wants us to keep our hearts mellow and grateful.  To keep our hearts mellow and grateful it is not enough to give up things like sweets and alcohol. We need to control our desire for possessions, power and popularity. As Jesus himself discovered during his retreat in the desert these are potent demons in the human heart that need to be tamed. Fasting is unfashionable today.  Yet never has it been so necessary.  In the so-called first world which is mainly nominally Christian we are now the most indebted, obese, addicted and medicated generation in history.  Jesus’ teaching on fasting has the power to improve our health, our relationships and our environment. 

The third thing the Lenten season invites us to practise is almsgiving.  Jesus insisted that we care for those in need and that we do this without looking for a reward. We can look at almsgiving in the specific sense of offering practical help to those who are hungry or homeless or without clothes. But we also need to look at it in the much broader sense of our attitude to life.  Our lives are not just about ourselves and our own needs.  Our lives are for others too.  When we serve others we are making a difference to their lives. We are also making a difference to our own.  It is a truth that unless and until we give our lives away to others we do not seem to have them ourselves at any deep level.