Almost every year, when the Sunday of the Holy Trinity comes upon us, I think of Mrs. Jakes.  I never knew her first name, although in the days when I knew her it was quite usual that the first name she might have given would have been that of her husband.  She was my first grade teacher, and in those days, it was the proper thing to do when formally introduced you would offer the name of your husband preceded by “Mrs.”

Mrs. Jakes taught me how to read.  I remember the books we used and how proud we would be when we would progress from one to the next.  It gave you a great sense of pride—even at the age of seven—of what we were accomplishing.  Mrs. Jakes also taught me how to add and subtract.  I would later learn multiplication tables and how to divide numbers (in other grades).  For now, it made sense to me that 1 + 1 = 2 while 2 + 2 = 4 and so on.  It was pretty straightforward.  It made perfect sense (besides, I’m not too proud to admit that I often counted using my fingers, which, Mrs. Jakes didn’t want us to do!).

As I got older, and I grew up in the Lutheran Church (I was baptized in the Lutheran church when I was six years old), I had to attend another set of classes, called simply “confirmation.”  We memorized a lot of material—most of which was written by some guy named Martin Luther (not to be confused with “Dr. King” as we were told often by our pastor, Rev. Paul Haffly).  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was very much alive in my days as a catechumen (I began my studies in 1967, one year before Dr. King was tragically assassinated.).

When it came time to study the idea of God in Three Persons (also known as the theology of the Holy Trinity), I became confused.  What Mrs. Jakes and others had taught me since first grade didn’t seem to add up.  If years ago 1 + 1 = 2, then why did Trinitarian understanding suggest that 1 +1 + 1 = 1?  It was a great mystery to me then.  But guess what?  It’s still a great mystery to me today!

God makes Himself known in many and various ways.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three separate ways God lets us see Him in real time, and yet, He still is one God (and not three).  Yep, that’s still a mystery to me!

Years later, as time passed, there was much more to learn that just reading, writing, and arithmetic.  In fact, I have learned recently (from my first grade teacher-wife herself) that if you talk about “arithmetic” to children, they won’t know what you mean.  It’s not called arithmetic any longer.  It called “math.”  That was new to me.

I finally decided – now that I’ve been teaching confirmation for a few years now – that the concept of the Holy Trinity can only be explained as “new math.”  The old way was plain and simple.  But the new way was a great and wonderful mystery.  God, who found many ways to love and care for us, makes Himself known in more ways that we can ever count!  We shouldn’t worry about how to explain it, but rather accept it (that’s faith), and know that He is with us from now and until the end of our lives on this earth.  The real way He shows His love is through His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross and was raised from the dead.  Through His work, we are set free to live lives that will go on forever.  Whether we understand it or not, let God be praised for His mysterious but constant way of compassion and care that He has for all people of every place and every time.

And once more, Mrs. Jakes, God rest your soul and thank you again.  You taught me the basics of which I still use to this day.  And to You oh Lord—thank you—for your mysteries are inspiring and make me want to get to know You even better!

As for the “Trinity”?  Well, I’ll just mark it off to faith, and of course, “new math!”

God loves you and so do we!

Pastor Jim