Weather, Mom & The Trinity
Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 9:28AM There is the slightest possibility that I may be a little obsessed with the weather. While I have never had serious discussions with anyone as to the root cause of this behavior, I am mostly certain that I was taught to be this way. Growing up, we watched the news, but we WATCHED the weather forecast. I mean, we were sssshed into silence to allow Dick Wiliams or Dave Brown (the weather guys on channel 5) to tell us what they knew, or didn't know. There was no Doppler 3-D radar, they actually moved the cold fronts and the sunshine and the clouds by hand; I think they had velcro on them. Regardless, we watched the weather in the same manner as we sat in church.
Weather watching was religious. As long as my mother was alive, you could bet the house that the second question out of her mouth in a conversation on the phone was, "How is the weather?" She delighted in having six children in six different geographical and climatological conditions. I miss anticipating that question.
What I do not miss is the weather. I have the weather bookmarked on my computer and iTouch. When I hear thunder, I keep the radar window open on the laptop to track the storm. I feel like friends with the Weather Channel celebs and I know what Dave Brown is going to say before he says it. Although my mother died almost three years ago, I still think of her in the midst of our late afternoon summer thunderstorms. There are times when I look at the phone either to call or to wait for her call. Why is that?
This Sunday is designated Trinity Sunday by the Church. To explain the doctrine of the Trinity in a blog is impossible, as it can be in a sermon. However, I offer this. The Doctrine of the Trinity attempts to offer an explanation to God's unending, never ending presence. God always was, is, and always will be present in this world - in all of creation. God is present as Father, Son (incarnate/human & divine) and as the Spirit. At the risk of oversimplification, we live in the presence of God, all three persons, all the time; yet, we live most notably through the power and presence of God the Holy Spirit. How do we know? Great question! But I know this, my mother was around before me, she was alive during part of my life, and she lives in me through the power of her presence; the memories or the spirit of life (and an obsession of weather) she gifted in her death. Likewise, God was in the beginning, Jesus was one with the Father while living in humanity as one of us, and Jesus assures us of God's, and thus his, eternal presence through the Spirit. If that gets too confusing, I apologize. Turn off the computer, pick up the phone and call someone you love and ask, "What's the weather?" Then it will all make sense.
Peace, John+
Reader Comments (1)
That was great John! As always, I enjoyed learning more about the Trinity. I am so glad you went to Seminary and found your way to HA instead of Meteorology school!