Trinity and selfies.
Trinity A - Genesis 1:1-2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20
The Hasidic legend of the Lamed Vav says that in every generation there are 36 Righteous People on whose account God will preserve the world no matter how bad things have become.1 The 36 Righteous may be men or women, Jew or gentile. They are unassuming by nature and anonymous even to themselves and one another. Their good deeds and kindness sometimes work wonders. It is said that the Messiah might be one of them, although like the others, the Messiah will remain anonymous until the world is prepared to recognize him. Or her.
I am not sure exactly how to recognize the Messiah or the 36 Righteous. But it cannot be helpful to imagine that only men are among their number.
The church continues to talk about the Father and the Son when it names the first two persons of the Trinity. The words are “only” metaphors, but metaphors are powerful. They expand or constrict our vision and imagination.2 Hear a metaphor long enough and we forget it is a metaphor.
The God who created humanity male and female is not honored when we attach constricting, exclusionary metaphors to God’s name. We need better language.
The moral often drawn from the legend of the 36 Righteous is that since they are anonymous and unknown even to themselves, we should all act as if we might be one of them by being humble, kind and doing good deeds.
We are all invited into the creating, redeeming and sustaining work of God as who we are. And all sorts of other people are in that amazing work with us.
Peace.
Think of God agreeing to spare the city of Sodom for the sake of the 10 righteous people. Genesis 19:1-28
Gail Ramshaw. Liturgical Language: Keeping It Metaphoric, Making It Inclusive. (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1996) at 10.