Introducing two cool new friends...by way of the Trinity (duh, how do YOU talk about friendship?)

So, we worship, love, and pursue a Trinitarian God. God in three Persons. One God, three persons. Sharing the same substance in three different centers of being. That being said, for a Christian the functional presupposition about God is that He is profoundly relational. The Father didn't begin singular, then just randomly produce a couple more folks like Himself (the Son and Holy Spirit). Even speaking of a 'beginning' in regards to Him is nonsense. From the get go, from 'eternity past,' this is the way He Is: 'Triune' or 3-and-1. In our humanity (and very North American emphasis on singularity) we have a really hard time wrapping our mind around this concept, that is, thinking of living a life in this manner. In reality though, God has left hints of Himself written on us,, blind as we are to see them most of the time. A really healthy marriage or a great friendship can give us tiny glimpses into the intra-Trinitarian life that we will someday share in fully. However, because of sin (both in terms of personal moral failure and the much larger and harder to see 'systemic' varieties of evil that arise in any organization or community that humans lay their hands on) we are either lonely hyper-individualists or so subsumed into our respective relationships as to become mere extensions of one another. Neither distinct or fully without distinction, stuck in a psycho-spiritual limbo of sorts. It's hard for us to be individuals-in-communion, that is, properly 'Trinitarian' in our relationships. (If you like, you can check my much earlier blog on "What I Believe" for a rather simple Trinitarian Doctrine. That being said, being made in the Imago Dei presuppositionally includes (or at least includes the intent for) relationships of depth, meaning, and delight. Long Story Short: God thought up the idea of spouse-ship, frienship, sonship, daughtership and any other relational ships you'd care to board. No other animal on this planet has our (human) capacities for participation in, and enjoyment of relationship, specifically that of friendship. He is the author that has written His love for parties, theology and a pint with the boys (and girls), big meals with friends, and dates with the one we love on our hearts. My pastoral admonition? Drink good beer, eat nachos at the Wild Horse regularly, and read Luther...no wait, wrong pastoral admonition. Or maybe not... My real admonition? Go look like God: be good friends with someone. Model the Divine life with them, letting your light shine out so to speak. And check out the blog of my two newest friends, Jonathan and Tish, they kick ass: www.speculationsandsuch.blogspot.com