God the paradox:)

"So a divine human being (Jesus) is truth. God is transcendent and immanent. Truth is both reliable and contextual. Relativism is relatively absolute. Paradoxes abound in the Christian faith"- Tony Jones-

I find it kind of bewildering that for the most part, people who follow Christ tend to struggle with the idea of paradox in the Christian faith. The world is chalked full of paradox! We see it everywhere and in every facet of our lives. We see a viable sustaining planet that has the capacity to destroy(See Nature-the beauty of a gentle rain shower compared to the powerful tornado or hurricane). We see it in relationships(The unloving vs. loving responses that are inevitable). We see it in the food we eat(Fruit=good. Cake=great! Fruitcake=Nasty crap-Jim Gaffigan thought of the day FYI). On the most fundamental levels paradox exists as well.

In our earliest encounters in physics we are told that things are either a particle or a wave, and then we are told that an electron acts as both a particle AND a wave. We just learned that that those two things: particles and waves, are mutually exclusive, and now we're being told that at the basic level of EVERYTHING electrons act as particles AND waves. And it's stinking confusing!!! Here's the point, if you can't embrace the paradox, you can't really continue your growth in physics and you cannot begin to comprehend the basic components that make up our world.

I tend to believe(opinion that could be wrong-again-haha) if there are paradoxes in every aspect of life, then why can't there be paradoxes is theology as well.

For instance, The Trinity! Below is the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church definition:

"Trinity, doctrine of the--The central dogma of Christian theology, that the one God exists in Three persons and one substance, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is one, yet self-differentiated; the God who reveals Himself to mankind is one God equally in three distinct modes of existence, yet remains one through all eternity."

This has been argued for two thousand years about what it actually means, but the detailed concept of the Trinity is sparsely represented in the Bible. Jesus' great commission in Matthew is the only "in your face" reference to the Triune nature of God. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Other than that, the three in one nature of God can only be inferred by references to God's Spirit-who is active throughout the Old and New Testaments, The "Word" of God(See the gospel of John), and the Father(To Whom Jesus cries out to in prayer).

The actual thought of the trinity is already a paradox: How can God be one and three? To us its a paradox, but it is holy and true to the nature of God. We in the church try to compare this concept to many things so we can come up with an analogy that people can relate to(I'm guilty of it as well-sadly). I've heard it referred to as liquid, ice and vapor-Baseball managers, pitchers and catchers, a candle sharing three wicks, and even a three bladed fan. All are brilliant attempts I think but they fail in portraying accurate aspects of God throughout the whole relationship of the Trinity.

"You can't analogize God! You can't compare God to something. You can't say what God is. You can only say what He isn't!"-LeRon Shults

Wow!!! We try to compare God to the finite and universal when He is indeed BIGGER than all of that stuff. What we can identify with is that the Trinity is three beings in relationship with each other, and we are beings in relation as well(Thanks again T. Jones). Our finite minds can't prove the exact truth of the Trinity but it's too beautiful and powerful and most importantly-Godly-not to be true. We believe in the Trinity because we know it to be true because God states clearly that He is indeed three-in-one.

It's a paradox!!! But it is beautiful, illuminating and the character of God, so as part of our faith we must embrace paradox if we are to try to comprehend(TRY is the word) who He is and how He relates to us.