Trinity Sunday

Article for Faith Matters column of Solihull News


On Sunday (18th May) the churches celebrate Trinity Sunday. This is when we reflect on the great mystery of our God who is both “one” and “three” at the same time.
It is important to understand that the Holy Trinity is a mystery. As human beings we don’t have the capacity to understand our creator, who is so much greater than we are. We try always to grow in the love and knowledge of God, and by God’s grace we can make some progress, but we can never hope to fully understand God. If we think we understand God through and through then we are deceiving ourselves!
It is also important to recognise that the threeness of God in no way compromises the oneness of God. The perfect unity of God is central to Christianity, and to many other religions as well.
And yet within this extraordinary oneness of God, Christians recognise relationships of complete self giving between different “Persons”. God the Father gives everything to God the Son (c.f. Matt 28: 18). God the Son gives everything to God the Father, being ready to lay down his life for the Father (c.f. Matt 26: 39-44). God the Holy Spirit shares with us what the Son shares with the Father (c.f. John 16: 13-15).
Human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). We were created to have loving, giving and sharing relationships like those that we see in the Holy Trinity. It is relationships like these that give us our true identity and our dignity as human beings. Trinity Sunday therefore invites us to grow in generosity, being ready to give time, money, attention and care to the people around us. Growing in generosity helps us to become the people we were created to be.

Revd Patrick Gerard
Assistant Curate, St Alphege Church, Parish of Solihull