Humility and the Trinity

Most of us like to think we’re always right, whether it’s world politics or loading the dishwasher. But there is a benefit to admitting we may be wrong.

An egg has three parts: the shell, the white and the yolk. But it is one egg. Water has three forms: liquid, ice and vapor. But it is one substance. A woman can be a wife, a mother and an employer. But she is still one woman.

These illustrations attempt to explain the Trinity, which is celebrated in many churches today. All of them fail, and some are even wildly off the mark.

Which is no surprise, because the Trinity is a mystery.

The doctrine of the Trinity says that God is one being, existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not three gods, but one God in three persons. This is a difficult concept, one that separates us from our religious cousins, the Jews and the Muslims.

Although the word “Trinity” is never mentioned in the Bible, Jesus hints at it in the gospel of John. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,” says Jesus. “All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will...