What is the central mystery of our Faith?

THE CENTRAL MYSTERY OF OUR FAITH

The first Christians were Jews.  They were staunchly monotheistic.  They believed in one God, but this one God had touched their lives in three different ways.  Gradually their understanding of this doctrine grew and developed, that in this one God there are three Persons.

At first, they saw God in the natural order of things.  The first four words in the Bible are, “In the beginning God.”  That is the basic assumption of the Church’s faith.  Everything started with God.  He is the One and only eternal Being in the entire universe.  His initial act was to create.  The earth on which we live was made by Him.  The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat were all made by Him.  The stars that shine above us are His handiwork.  He also made us.  We can see His fingerprints on all of creation, but we can’t help but raise some questions, for nature is very diverse.

It includes gentle rains that cause the crops to grow.  It also includes floods that can devastate the lives of people.  It also includes severe droughts that lay waste the land, and leave people starving.  It includes beautiful sunsets and devastating earthquakes.  It includes the playful dolphin and the great white shark, which, if given a chance, will devour a person.  Small wonder that when primitive people looked through the lens of nature, they saw many gods, some good and some evil.  The glory of the Hebrew people is that they saw one God over all creation.  For centuries, they recited it in what is called “the Shema”.  Recorded in Deuteronomy 5:4 it says, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.”  While nations around them recognised many deities, the Hebrews affirmed their faith in the one true God.  He was the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  He alone was to be worshipped and obeyed.

The fishermen of Galilee had been brought up in this faith.  Gradually their understanding of the one true God changed forever when they met a Man named Jesus of Nazareth.  He was a man like themselves.  He wore the same clothes and spoke with the same accent as other Galileans.  But He was different from all other men in that the power of His words and the impact of His personality were almost beyond belief.  He was a carpenter by trade and had no more formal education than they did.  They had never known anyone like this man.  They were drawn to Him.  When He said, “Follow Me,” they did so unreservedly and left their families and occupations to be with Him.

For three years, He was their constant companion.  They observed Him in all kinds of situations.  The more they saw of Him, the more they were astounded.  When others were small minded, He did not descend to their level.  When the people wanted to crown Him king, He rose above personal ambition.  When influential people plotted to get rid of Him, He didn’t seem to be in the least frightened or embittered.  He fascinated them when first they met and as the days went by that fascination only increased.  Sometimes they would talk among themselves and wonder aloud, “Who is this Man?”

They became convinced that He had to be the Messiah, the promised Redeemer of Israel.  Others who had witnessed the wonderful things He had said and done thought He may be a prophet, but to them He was more than that.  One day, Simon Peter spoke on their behalf, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  They had become sure of that, but were much less sure of what it meant.  Their hopes seemed to be set on some kind of earthly kingdom.  When He was arrested and crucified their dreams and hopes were shattered.

Fuller understanding of Who He really was did not come until after His Resurrection.  For forty days, He appeared to them over and over again.  Slowly, the truth dawned upon them that this Man was more than a man.  The one and only true God had laid aside His sovereignty to share their human lot.  It was almost more than their minds could grasp.  They were soon to discover that there was more to this mystery.

Before Jesus died, He had promised them another “Comforter” who would take His place in their lives.  He would be with them everywhere and forever.  This new Companion was a Person.  Jesus told them He would “guide them into all truth.” (Jn. 16:13).  The promise did not claim their attention at first.  As long as Jesus was visibly present with them, that was enough.  Once He had ascended into Heaven this almost forgotten promise took on new urgency.  They thought of little else.  Absorbed in prayer together, they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit.

He came on the day of Pentecost.  His coming came with a mighty wind and tongues of fire that rested on them.  The promise was being fulfilled.  They knew now that God was living within them.  They could all go their separate ways, while God stayed with all of them.  Their monotheistic faith was still unchanged.  They believed there was one God.  They still recited the Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.”  But their understanding of that faith had undergone a profound change.  The God who had created and sustained the universe had walked among them.  And this God who had once walked among them now lived with them.  They now believed that in the One God there were Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So, the early church came to pray, “Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.”

It is the central mystery of our faith.  The Church has taught us to begin and end all our prayers with the words, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  To remind ourselves of the Three Persons living within us we should cross ourselves not with just our index finger of our right hand, but with three of our fingers.

Let us close with one of the ancient blessing of the Church.  Paul wrote it to the Corinthians centuries ago.  “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  Amen.

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