Trinity / Trinidad A (6.4.23)

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M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Ps/S 8; 2 Cor. 13:11-13; Mat. 28: 16-20)

The Holy Trinity of cooking in some parts of the US is onions, carrots and celery, called such because the flavors of all three, combined, creates a magic that cannot be accomplished by each one alone. La Santa Trinidad de la cocina en partes de los EEUU es las zanahorias, el apio y la cebolla. Los tres juntos hacen mucho más sabor que uno solo puede. By contrast, in Mexican cooking I have observed that often onion, garlic and chili are the base ingredients that swirl together in a delicious combination. En la comida mexicana, tal vez uno diría que la cebolla, el ajo y el chile forman una combinación más deliciosa que cada uno puede contribuir. Y tal vez esto es diferente dependiendo en la casa, país o región. This may range from home to home and country to country.

Just in the same way, today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, and we remember that the three persons of God somehow allow us to experience God at a different level than if we were only in relationship with one aspect of God. De la misma manera hoy en el día de la Santa Trinidad recordamos que en reconocer las tres personas de Dios experimentamos Dios en una manera más amplia. Podemos experimentar a Dios no solo como Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, pero como Creador, Redentor, Sustentador. We can experience God in so many ways, not just as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, Lover, Beloved and Love that Unites us all. El Dador, el Don y la Acción de Dar. Aun hombre, mujer y algo en el medio. We even may experience God as He, She and They. After all, in the creation narrative, God says I will make them in “our” image. Cuando dice Dios que está creando las personas a su imagen, dice “los hago en nuestra imagen” – es un yo plural. Dios es más complejo de lo que podemos imaginar. God is more complex than we can imagine.

There are many gifts of the Trinity. Hay muchos dones de la Santa Trinidad. Y una es que podemos conectar con Dios de diferentes maneras en diferentes tiempos de nuestras vidas. We can connect with God in different ways depending on what works best for us. Perhaps we had always thought of God as onion, celery and carrot, but it is helpful for us to think of God as onion, garlic and chili from time to time? ¿Tal vez tenemos que cambiar nuestra perspectiva para poder ver otro atributo de Dios? This doesn’t mean God changes, but just that we can see God in a way that is helpful for us.
For example, if a person has a difficult relationship with their father, thinking of God as Father may not do it for them. But they may connect with the dynamic Spirit, or with Jesus who came and dwelt among us. Si una persona no conecta con Dios como un Padre porque tiene una relación compleja con su padre, pueden conectar con Jesús, quien vivió entre nosotros, y/o con el Espíritu dinámico que mueve entre nosotros. Or they may rethink God in a completely different way- that is more or less tangible based on their needs. I think of the trinity in the novel The Shack by William Paul Young, where God is a maternal African-American woman, the Spirit is a fairy-like Asian-American woman and Jesus remains a humble but very accessible carpenter. A veces tenemos que re-imaginar la Santa Trinidad en una imagen que nos ayude, como la Trinidad en La Cabana por William Paul Young que es una mujer afro-americana, una mujer asiática y un carpintero muy amigable.

As I said before, changing how we understand God does not change God, but it allows us to understand better the complexity of who God is. And of who we are as God’s creation. Ver esta complejidad en Dios no cambia a Dios, pero nos ayuda a entender mejor la complejidad de Dios y quienes somos como su creación. Let us celebrate the complexity of all God’s creatures not just this month, but every month. Dios nos ha hecho en un arco iris de variedad, y ¡celebramos su creación!

Hablando de creación, una manera muy hermosa de conectar con Dios es en su creación. Speaking of creation, so many of us have been inspired by the hummingbird nest in our patio these past few weeks. Muchos estamos muy emocionados de ver la colibrí y como representa la maravilla de Dios en las ultimas semanas. One lady came to the office, a person who has lost her son, and she mentioned how seeing the hummingbird and being reminded of God’s goodness has renewed her faith in her time of loss. Una mujer vino a la oficina esta semana y compartió con Mabel y conmigo sus impresiones del colibrí. Ella perdió a su amado hijo y por supuesto ha estado en dolor. Pero ella siente su fe renovada en ver la hermosura de la creación en el pequeño nido de la colibrí con sus bebes tan tiernos. We have heard also that we are blessed, because very few hummingbirds build nests so low to the ground so that we can see them. También estamos bendecidos porque podemos ver el nido- usualmente son mas altos. ¡Dios es bueno! God is good!

Even with such beauty in the world, there is also a lot of pain. Aunque hay mucho gozo en el mundo, también hay mucho dolor a veces. Así que aún pueden tener dudas en como conectar con Dios. You may even have some doubts about all of this. That is natural. Notice that in the gospel it says, “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” En el evangelio, dice: “Y cuando vieron a Jesús, lo adoraron, aunque algunos dudaban.” I used to look at this passage and think those that doubted were lacking something. But now I realize- they were there! They remained with their doubts and perhaps fears, and were still there to see Jesus. Me di cuenta que esto es una buena noticia para todos nosotros. Aunque tengamos dudas, ¡estamos aquí! Y Jesús nos ama y nos manda a hacer su trabajo en el mundo, aun con nuestras dudas y temores. Even when we have doubts or fears, we are not alone. Jesus is with us until the end of the age. Jesús dice: “yo estaré con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo.” And he will send us out, with all our fears and doubts, but also with our love for and from him, to do his work in the world.

Don’t be afraid. The Trinity has got you. God holds you and upholds you in God’s complex unity! Now we have work to do. No tengan miedo porque la Santa Trinidad los tiene en sus manos amorosas. Ahora tenemos trabajo que hacer.

“Que la gracia del Señor Jesucristo, el amor de Dios y la participación del Espíritu Santo estén con todos ustedes.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”
Amen.

 

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