Human language is never wholly adequate to communicate personal life. We often find ourselves stammering and fumbling for words trying to convey how we feel. We fight to express the depths and contours of our love the those closest to us, or to articulate the sorrow which shreds trough us during difficult seasons. We often find ourselves 'lost for words...'
However the words which we cling on too, no matter how inadequate, are never useless. Even when we recognise the limitations of words it does not stop us using them to good effect.
So to when talking about the Trinity. Of course this is one of many parts of Christian belief which terminates in mystery and can never be fully expressed by human language. Nonetheless, not being able to say EVERYTHING true does not mean we cannot say ANYTHING true!
In our series in the 104 Irish Articles James Ussher now moves us from the doctrine of the Scriptures to the doctrine of the Trinity, and in doing so uses language to greatly expand our understanding of the Godhead.
8. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one and the same substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
He is the "everlasting... maker and preserver of all things". In other words he is THE UNCREATED CREATOR. The one who stands distinct from his creation yet intimately involved in sustaining it. This vital distinction urges us once again not to worship the creation but the creator; in the same way that we do not fall in love with the love poem but with the lover!
Finally Ussher finds the words to express both God's unity and his diversity; three persons of one and the same substance...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In doing so he attempts to describe for us a community of unceasing love, joy and self giving which, while causing our words to fail provokes the christian heart to sing because we have glimpsed (albeit falteringly) the love relationship which defines and transcends all others. I guess in the light of this great truth we cannot help but be left in slack jawed wonder at the Father who loves the Son and the Son who loves the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
We could easily spend a whole series unpicking and expounding each of the statements here, but for now it's worth drawing a couple of reflections.
The opening statement orientates us to the 'one-ness' of God and to his 'true-ness', not in the sense of being the correct option (although that's correct) but as being truth in himself and the originator of all that is true.He is the "everlasting... maker and preserver of all things". In other words he is THE UNCREATED CREATOR. The one who stands distinct from his creation yet intimately involved in sustaining it. This vital distinction urges us once again not to worship the creation but the creator; in the same way that we do not fall in love with the love poem but with the lover!
Finally Ussher finds the words to express both God's unity and his diversity; three persons of one and the same substance...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In doing so he attempts to describe for us a community of unceasing love, joy and self giving which, while causing our words to fail provokes the christian heart to sing because we have glimpsed (albeit falteringly) the love relationship which defines and transcends all others. I guess in the light of this great truth we cannot help but be left in slack jawed wonder at the Father who loves the Son and the Son who loves the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
