In the movie, The Princess Bride, there is a scene in which Inigo Montoya, a Spanish swordsman, is having a sword fight with a mysterious man, dressed in black and whose identity is concealed by a black mask. Throughout their duel, each compliments the other about their skill with a sword. Inigo Montoya finally asks the man in black, “Who are you?” The man in black replies, “No one of great consequence.” Monotya responds, “I must know!” To which the man in black says, “Get use to disappointment!”
Mystery is no stranger in our lives. As human beings, we struggle with mystery. We often say about those things we don’t understand as “It’s a mystery.” We hate this kind of mystery. We are always disappointed with this kind of mystery because we want to know. We have to know. The only way we have control over someone or something is to know and understand that person or thing. We like the events and people in our lives to be predictable and controllable. When mystery wrests control from us we feel vulnerable and helpless. This is why we find mystery so frustrating and disappointing.
God is the greatest mystery of all, and, so today we encounter the mystery of the Holy Trinity. For centuries upon centuries, prophets and theologians have asked God the same question. “Who are you?” Moses encountered the Burning Bush, and when Moses asked the bush who it was, God answered in a riddle. God is an enigma, a mystery we cannot comprehend. The closest we have come to knowing who God is, is in the person of Jesus Christ, who is, in essence, the human translation of who God is. However, just because the Holy Trinity is a mystery, does not mean our feelings are limited to frustration and disappointment.
In my marriage preparation with couples I will tell them, there are two mysteries I will never fully comprehend. The first mystery is the Holy Trinity. The second mystery is my beloved Ruth, to whom I have been married for close to 42 ½ years. I will readily admit that I will never fully uncover the mystery that is my bride. She is always revealing something new and splendid to me. She is not predictable, nor while I would never try to exert control over her, she would never allow it. Because she will always remain a mystery to me, I find that the time I look forward to the most is in being with her. For she continues to fill me with feelings of joy and wonder.
And so it is with God. The Holy Trinity will remain an utter mystery to all of us. We will never fully comprehend who God is and that is just fine. In the first letter of John, John writes very simply, “God is love.” God is love. The love that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is so perfect and so complete that we will never fully understand it. Nor need we ever have to understand it.
To know God’s love requires us to spend time with God. The more time we spend with God, the deeper we will experience God’s love. And, the deeper we experience God’s love, the more God will draw us into that love that is expressed between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The more we are drawn into the love that is expressed between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the more we will be drawn into the mystery, splendor and beauty that is God. And, the more we will be filled with joy and wonder.