“Peace That Passes All Understanding” by Pastor Nate

Take a look at the photo above.  What jumps out to you?  What captures your imagination?  What do you think this painting is?

What if I told you this painting was an Icon of the Trinity?  You see it a little differently now, don’t you.

Notice, how they are all sitting together, and yet the focus, the center of the painting is right in the middle as if you are supposed to sit there with them?

This image that we see is supposed to depict the Father, Son, and Spirit all sitting together and yet the central focus seems to be on the space where we can fit in at their table.

Here’s what I’m getting at.  There is a fancy term that people use when talking about the Trinity it’s called “perichoresis”.  You’ll notice in the painting that the Father appears to be looking at the Spirit, the Son seems to be looking at the Father, and then the Spirit seems to be looking at the empty space at the table.  The idea behind “Perichoresis” is that the Father, Son, and Spirit all exist in this loving community,  they are three and yet they are still one being, one God.   This love they have for each other flows between all three figures, the Father, Son, and Spirit literally is a community of love.   And this love they share moves between them, as the Father looks to the Son and the Son looks to the Spirit, the love flows back and forth both giving and receiving.

But notice that in this painting, the figure of the Holy Spirit is looking at the empty spot.  This is the same spot that is in the center of the painting, the space that you might feel invited to sit at.

That’s because this is God’s hope for us: that we might know and feel and be a part of God’s community of love.

Our topic of conversation last week was Peace, and what greater peace is there than to understand that God is love, that God exists as a community of love, and that God wants you to feel and become a part of God’s love?

That’s what some might call “the peace that surpasses all understanding”.  Whatever you call it, I hope we don’t just go in peace, I hope we can stay in this peace.