How can we understand the Trinity; God, Son and Holy Spirit?

The Trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus his only Son and the Holy Spirit (sometimes Holy Ghost by name). The Trinity is sometimes called the Godhead. How can we understand the Godhead? Most churches say the following in a creed: “We believe in God the Father the creator of the heavens and the earth and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord” sounds familiar?

The Christian faith believes in one God. The Trinity is an unit, as in “one”. But yet we can pray to each one separately. For example: “Jesus please forgive me my sins” or “We know that God the father created the heavens and the earth”. Yet we describe God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as “one God”.

Clearly this requires two viewpoints to understand. An individualistic viewpoint which is separate AND a collective viewpoint in which all is One. I can explain the viewpoints as follows:

• 1.       The first viewpoint is of God. This viewpoint is static: “One God”. Much the same as we find Him in the Old Testament.
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• 2.       The second viewpoint requires a bit more re-positioning  It can be viewed from three different perspectives: God, Son and Holy Spirit. Three different viewpoints that cannot be one. For example if you pray for the forgiveness of sins, you talk to Jesus- if you say thanks for the creation you say thanks to God (As found in the book of Genesis).

In essence there is a lot of re-positioning to do in your mind when you think about the Christian God. Is this difficult? No, it’s EASY. Consider a triangle. We can use a triangle as a metaphor. The triangle is ONE shape with THREE different corners. Link the triangle as one shape to God AND the three corners to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (This can be in any order).

Concerning the three corners you can have only one viewpoint, either with God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. But the corners are one, as in one triangle. I mean, if you tell something to Jesus, God is going to know about it right?

If you want to be with Jesus you can re-position yourself in His corner (by means of speaking) or if you want to be with the Holy Spirit you can re-position yourself to His corner. But you will always be with God, because He is One, the One called the Trinity!

Till next time!