Three

One of my favorite Vineyard songs is called "He is Yahweh." The best line goes "the three in one/He is Yahweh." Last week I took a class on Trinitarianism and I learned in great detail what it means that our God is Three in One.

What is most compelling to me is the perfect, eternal relationship the Father, Son, and Spirit share in the one divine essence. The Greek word for this relationship is perichoresis (pear-E-core-A-sis) and means co-indwelling. Or as my professor likes to think of it, it means 'to dance around.' At first this probably doesn't sound too exciting. But what this Greek word means is that the Father, Son, and Spirit are in this beautiful, forever, united, giving, loving relationship with each other. Our God is not lonely sitting on a throne by Himself. The Father, Son, and Spirit are forever dancing around within each other.

And we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26). We are made in the image of a God who has enjoyed perfect relationship forever. Could it be that we are made for relationship as well? That we are made for mutual acceptance, unity of purpose, giving, loving relationships with one another as believers, with our spouses, with our families and friends? Could this explain the loneliness every human being feels at some point in their lives? The desire to express love and receive love? Could all of it boil down to the fact that God is Three and Three is One?

I think it does. My professor suggests that the Trinitarian worldview (which is unique to Christianity) is the ONLY way to explain our innate desire for companionship, love, and acceptance. Perhaps this could revolutionize the church's teaching on marriage, divorce, and even change the way the church is run (I don't see ministry turf wars or church splits in the Trinity).

One of the ways our professor pounded home this message was by playing secular love songs in class and asking us to listen for echoes of the Trinity, I would encourage you to listen to the music and watch the movies of our broken, compartmentalized, lonely world and you will hear the cries of those formed in the image of the Trinity.

Below is a most compelling song he played for us. I have never heard of the song or the artist, but these lyrics best depict the echoes of the Trinity found in marriage. May our Trinitarian hearts find such love and acceptance in Him and in our lifemates:

Heaven Help
John McCutcheon

Heaven help the one. Heaven help the two.
Heaven help me say these things I need to say to you.
It seems a simple thing to tell you what I feel,
But I'm stumbling and I'm staggering over what I know is real.

Back when we were young, just a boy and girl,
It seems like we had all the time and chances in the world.
A graduation gown into a wedding dress,
A garden in the backyard and a baby at your breast.
This world we made of love and flesh and bone
Grew up and walked out the door and made worlds of their own.

So here we are again as the river flows on,
This house feels like a coat too big with the children grown and gone.
And now we're left alone, just me, just you.
All this space to find ourselves, I guess it's overdue.
After all these years you'd think I'd have a name.
For the mystery that keeps this heart and life aflame

Come take my hand. Come take my heart.
Come take me to that place where you and I can start.
Let the lights go down. Let the days grow dim
Though all the world may turn you out, I will take you in.

Heaven help the one. Heaven help the two.