TRINITY - sometimes termed "il mistero impossibile!"
The most famous image of this impossible mystery was created by Andrei Rublev in the 15th century. It is considered Rublev's finest works and sacredly regarded as one of Russia's most distinguished art possessions. Trinity: 3 Images, 3 Gods, 3 References, 3 Persons? The artist must have wondered what he had undertaken when commissioned to create something spectacular for the Abbot Sergius of Lavra, near Moscow.
I've been fascinated by this image from the first day my former Abbot Hildebrand introduced it to us. Rublev's "Trinity" depicts 3 Angels who visited Abraham at the oak of Mamre (Genesis 18, 1f). The icon is full of mystery as is its explanation. The colors blue, green, yellow dominate - each symbolizing divinity, incarnation, redemption.
I wonder what would have happened if Abraham were transported to the island of Trinidad with its 3 mountain peaks named after the Trinity in the same 15th century? Imagine Rublev as a tropical artist - "Gauginesque" with a brighter tempera in full gloss. Instead of angels, we might be viewing mountain peaks.
The deeper question is harder to solve. What is Trinity? Volumes of work have been written on the topic. The great Augustine of the 4th century was caught in such a dilemma that hasn't left us in time memorial! While walking on the shore of the ocean (if only it were the Atlantic!), he observed a little boy playing with a great sea conch, filling it with seawater over and over again. "What are you doing?" Augustine asked him. "I'm trying to put the ocean in this shell!" As he walked on, Augustine realized that the child had taught him something. "Standing on the shores of time, I've been trying to pour into my finite mind a mystery which is infinite!" Yes, albeit, "impossible!" I think it is good to be humbled by such a belief as Trinity. Among Hindu artists, the 3 Angels would be painted all blue signifying the infinite sky, depicting divinity. For 18th century Vincent van Gogh, we could have had 3 distinct sunflowers. His love of yellow expressed hope, friendship, gratitude! How about blue angels named Hope, Friendship, Gratitude?
Images are simply too powerful. God as Family. God as Blue. God as Yellow. God as Hope, Friendship, Gratitude whose love is contagious, creative, caring boggles the mind. In the end, I resort to Thomas Aquinas' famous words in his hymn, "Adoro Te Devote" in which he reminds us: "faith will tell us God is present when all all our human senses fail." (sic.)
Wonderful reflection.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts for this weekend have been on the family aspect of the Trinity. As much as our society is trying to tear apart our concept of the reality of a normal family, I realize this secular society is really trying to tear apart the Trinity!
Oh, if only the world that is caught up in materialistic and selfish ways would have the opportunity to sit and look at those mountains and see what you see. But, alas, the growing Godlessness of the world has gotten too 'smart' for thoughts such as these.
I am reminded of a scene in C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters where Old Screwtape reminisces about one of his 'patients' who was an atheist and about to contemplate on the 'why' of existence when he planted a suggestion in his mind that he was hungry. Turning his thoughts into himself rather than the grander things and makes him step out into the onslaught of the noise of the world.
I pray for quiet in this 'noise'. I pray for the Trinity to continually pour out that love which surrounds us all to permeate our lives and minds. I long for the mountain peaks and the sunflowers and hope to bring as many with me as I can!
God Bless.
Deacon Jimmy