I think it is always a bit presumptuous to think that our metaphors, even those that we experience personally, give us a real understanding into the immanent nature of the trinity and other things that are really esoteric as far as we are concerned. And let me qualify my use of “real.” I do think metaphors do what they are supposed to in that they do shed light on some reality depicting analogous truth, but to know exhaustively and completely we cannot.
Having said that let me share my experience from last night. At about 2:30 I was awakened by the cry of my 5-month-old son. Half because the monitor volume was low I was feeling guilty because of the thought that he might have been crying for some time and half because of my 2:30 in the morning delirious behavior requires it, I shot out of bed and made my way to his room with haste. I picked him up, gave him his pacifier, and began to bounce him on the exercise ball.
He quickly ceased to cry and at the moment I was overtaken by the deep sense of satisfaction one feels when they are able to provide for a need of a child. Ironically I discovered that in giving a small bit of grace (can I call it that) I experienced a deep and profound moment of grace myself. And I dared to wonder what the Father must have experienced in offering us the excruciating remedy that he did.
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It’s funny, I think it is a bit presumptuous to think that our metaphors don’t lead us to a real understanding of the immanent nature of the trinity. It is not as though we have anything but our experiences to testify to our intellectual understanding of the trinity. By real I suppose I mean complete in so much as God’s fully intended revelation for His creation. Does that mean we know everything? Yes and No, I suppose. Does the Trinity know itself entirely? The knee jerk response would be a resounding, “Yes”. But is it such a bad notion to ponder for a moment? I think not. The general line of thinking you are proposing seems a bit like Moltmann’s notion of the immanent trinity. The problem is that it puts an over emphasis on the clarity we are given of the trinity being held entirely in the experience of salvation and seems to dismiss the notion of God as Creator. O and yes it is satisfying to be able to sooth your child.
Well… Kirsten is almost back to sleep now, so I’m off to bed.
Sometime when it's not the middle of the night I have some questions for you along these lines.
-Tom
Wow, sorry I just read what I wrote and I sound like a bit of a jack-a. Your point is of course completly valid Josh I was just intrigued by the otherside of the thought process.
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