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C. S. Lewis compares seeking to understand the Trinity to a person living in a two-dimensional world being confronted with a three-dimensional world. His argument proceeds as follows. The world of one dimension would allow only a straight line. In a two-dimensional world, we can have straight lines only; however, the lines can form to make one figure. In a three-dimensional world, we get figures but many figures that make one whole complex (Mere Christianity, 126).
Therefore, Lewis explains:
In other words, as you advance to more real and more complicated levels, you do not leave behind you the things you found on the simpler levels: you still have them, but combined in new ways—in ways you could not imagine if you knew only the simpler levels. (Ibid.)
The struggle many of us have with faith is that we want to reduce the Mystery, to which we can ascribe the term infinite-dimensional, to our terms. We do this for we can no more understand the Mystery than a person in a single-line universe could understand a multi-line universe, or a person in a world of linear thought can grasp holographic thought.
Such mysteries as the Trinity should not be rejected as illogical simply because they do not fit the logic of our three-dimensional mentality. Indeed, one argument in favor of the Trinity is that it does not fit three-dimensional logic.
A student went to his Teacher, saying, “Teacher, simply because we cannot understand something does not mean it is a mystery.” The Teacher replied, “You are right, and simply because we cannot understand something does not mean it is not a mystery.”
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An ancient dictum of the Church is “faith seeking understanding.” We begin with faith, for understanding, as we mean understanding before faith, cannot grasp the infinite-dimensionality of Spirit.
Why would I send out this writing? Through the contemplative life, I have been brought back to an acceptance of some teachings I had rejected as illogical. I am not contending that everything traditional that the Church has taught is right; I am contending that faith does not simply reject teaching because it does not agree with human understanding.
Finally, however, Trinity entails living. Again, Lewis writes, sagely:
You may ask, “If we cannot imagine a three personal Being, what is the good of talking about Him?” Well, there isn’t any good talking about Him. The thing that matters is being actually drawn into that three-personal life, and that may begin any time—…. (Ibid. 127)
What Aspect of the Three-Personal God do you find most influences your worship and daily life: Father, Son, or Holy Spirit?
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
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