I once heard the shamrock leaf used to explain the Trinity to a group of children.
Three leaves.
Three entities.
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Children aren’t the only ones who need some sort of symbol to better understand the Trinity. But not even the best teachers and analogies can fully explain the mysterious nature of the Triune God.
Though it’s tough to find a perfect earthly analogy of the Trinity, Scripture shows us three core qualities of Trinity.
Equal. God is not greater than Jesus and the Holy Spirit, nor is any entity lesser than any other. Jesus mentions this equality in John 14:9, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”
Distinct. Each entity of the Trinity has a particular role, and all work in perfect unison because they are one. Some distinct roles are listed in Ephesians 1:3–14.
United. The entities of the Trinity don’t act separately. Instead, they are united as the perfect community. Jesus mentions this direct unity in his prayer in John 17:20-26,
“Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe… – I in them and you in me, so that they may be brought to complete unity.”
The simple analogies of the Trinity are sweet and refreshing but we can stand in great awe of the complexities of our Triune God that transcends all human understanding.
Brenda Jank and the Run Hard. Rest Well. team are thought leaders in the arena of Restorative Wellness. Find additional resources at www.RunHardRestWell.org. Contact us at: Brenda@runhardrestwell.org
Bren,
A great analogy for the Holy Trinity.
I noted the fuzzy edges of the shamrock petals.
The three leaf clover is good.
Also vapor, water, ice I have used,
Love you, Pop
thanks brenda
Doug –
Thank you!
One of our team members wrote this blog post.
I will pass on your thanks!
Onward – !
Amen!