The Trillium, Three’s in Writing, and God in Three Persons
Tri is a root word for three. This, along with the Trillium—the official flower of Ontario—made me think about things that come in three.
Three and the Power of Transmission
The Trillium’s three petals, three-sectioned seedpod, and three leaves piqued my interest. I had to learn more about this beautiful specimen native to our province. What I really found interesting was that ants take the plant’s seed to the nest, draw what they need from them, and then somehow discard them. From there, what’s left of the seed grows into a new plant.
The Power of Three in Writing
The power of three in writing stems from a principal that things which come in threes are more effective than ones or twos. For example, a common story structure is three acts. Well-known story titles like The Three Musketeers, and Three Blind Mice, make it easier to remember the name. For more on the power of three in writing see the article, How to Use the Rule of Three in Writing on the Masterclass website.
The Power of Three in the Bible
The bible reveals God in three persons as part of the Trinity—God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three distinct Persons, but are all together one true God. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19. And “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
In the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, he refers to the Holy Spirit as the third Person, in fact a real Person, grows out of the joint life of the Father and the Son. He writes, “Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever? Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die… Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ.” A life that has always existed, not made like we were.
But how do we enter into this life?
The Power of the Gospel
We enter by the Beautiful One. Jesus Christ. The only one who can liberate us and bring us into relationship with all three persons of the Godhead.
Like the wee ant, we draw from our source. As followers of Jesus, we are enabled to disperse the seed of the gospel by doing the most basic things.
My Takeaway
My takeaway comes in the form of a prayer found in the New Testament. I pray this for you and also for myself. And it goes like this:
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” 2 Thess 2:16-17 (NASB)
Blessings,
Johanna
