Bowling Ball

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Matthew 28:19

When I look at the three holes in a ten pin bowling ball (ah 10 pin, love it or hate it, it is here to stay!) I can’t help but think about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity – that God exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God and, there is one God. Although the bowling ball reminds me of the Trinity, it is in actual fact a pretty weak analogy. Perhaps the following, is a better analogy. As I was walking yesterday, I passed a partially frozen pond whose surface I could just barely see through the thick fog of a spring melt. There was H2O in a liquid state (the water), a solid state (the ice) and a gas (the vapour that although is not usually visible was beginning to condense because of the cool air and thus forming fog.) All H2O and yet all three distinct states. But then again, it doesn’t take very long for this analogy to fall apart either. And maybe this is the most amazing thing about this doctrine. There is no analogy because there is nothing in our experience or in the universe quite like it. It truly is a divine mystery. I often get stuck on things like this, things that I can’t observe, confirm and adequately explain. It bugs me. But as I reflect further, what kind of God would I be worshipping if I, a finite being with such a limited perspective of the universe, could easily explain every aspect of His being. It fills me with wonder and a proper sense of humility to think of God’s otherness and grandeur. It should amaze us to think that God the Father, creator of the universe would see fit to create us, that God the Son would enter into the world He created to suffer and redeem the people He so loved, and God the Holy Spirit would lead, equip and empower His church (that is His people) to accomplish His mission here on earth.