Father, Son and Spirit are relational terms!

Hinduism claims many deities, ranging from 1,000 to 33 million gods... but all of them are just manifestations or symbols of the only God Brahman. Brahma is like the Father, the creator, the cosmic mind. Brahma has only one temple dedicated to him in India. Vishnu is like the Son, Jesus Christ, the preserver, the cosmic lord... with 9 reincarnations (Kalki is yet to come), Shiva is like the Holy Spirit, destroyer of the bad things to renew the universe, the transcendent Godhead. Together they are called Sat-Chit-Ananda: In them are found the fullness of truth, wisdom and happiness.

Explaining the Trinity is often forwarded by ‘It is a mystery’ and followed by the story of the boy at the seaside with his bucket. Many even advised children not to pray to the Trinity, since Trinity is an idea of a concept.

The word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Creed which we profess week by week. But it is altogether Trinitarian in structure. Christian faith is Trinitarian faith. Christian life is Trinitarian life. And Christian spirituality is Trinitarian spirituality (Michael Downey).

We use a language to express ourselves. If that is insufficient we express ourselves otherwise through body language, gesture, our clothing and the rings we wear. We speak through the glance of an eye that comforts or condemns, through dance, ritual, celebration, touch, and kiss and sometimes we speak in action too. Throughout our lives, we are expressing. God expresses most directly in Jesus the Christ
The Father speaks a Word, and his name is Jesus Christ, the Son since God by nature is expressive with his love and life. Jesus is the communication of God. But speaking is not possible without a breath. Indeed, speaking and breathing are inherently related. In Word and Spirit, God is speaking and breathing the divine life in the world. This is the way God loves us and gives us everything thus drawing us closer to the circle of love.

God is not turned in; nor is God the Supreme Being in self-imposed, self-selecting, blissful isolation. God’s very life is expressive, ecstatic, and fecund. ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Spirit’ are names that designate relationships rather than who God is in God’s fullness. All the three names emerge in relation to one another and to us. Calling God ‘Father’ is a way of naming our relationship to God, a way of responding to the gift of Love expressed in the Word who is the Son of the Father, breathing life and love in the Spirit.

Trinity teaches us the lesson loving relationship in unity and peace. It calls for action on issues of social justice since the equality is the mainstream of the relationship.