a little more about sin, it's being so popular

catastrophically, it seems to me, much of the west that calls itself christian has lost any concept of the holy one who self-reveals as the holy trinity.  i walk around my little town of eureka springs, and find there a big 'christian store' devoted to jesus.  one of the historic 'churches' is the unitarians--there is no jewish synagogue--devoted to the one god, although the unitarians these days are not so sure it's the god of abraham.  out on the highway there are several 'charismatic churches'--we don't have a quaker meeting--devoted to 'the spirit.'  most of the protestants i know are historical jesus appreciators, including the episcopalians.  only the roman catholics and the nine remaining presbyterians, all around 80 years old, seem to hold to some understanding of the trinity, and for the presbyterians, it's an idea they mean and not the person of the holy one.  what has this to do with sin, i hope you're asking.

my summer with the apocalypse of st. john and its images led me to richard of st. victor's book of the twelve patriarchs, which in the edition i found (trans. & intro. grover a. zinn.  (new york/ramsey/toronto:  paulist press, 1979)) is included with book three of the trinity.  i found it a very insightful work, even though i am only beginning to plumb its depths.  to quote zinn's introduction, 'in reflecting on the nature of divine perfection and the presence of charity, [richard] shows that not only are two persons necessary for love, but three are necessary for the fullest of all loves, charity.  unless love is not only given and received but also shared in community it cannot be called true charity.' (p.9)

now if man is created in the image of god, and if sin is falling short of the glory of god, then we see that the original sin, the origin of all sin, is the breaking of communion with the rest of creation and its creator which the first parents choose in order to 'know.'  they make clothes because they have become ashamed to be seen by the animals in the garden.  they hide from the holy one in the evening rather than walk with him as they have done previously.  they have become the community of two which is the basis for the modern nuclear family, a smaller community than even the extended family from the time we dismiss as 'patriarchal' or 'tribal.'  at least those communities were more inclusive than those in which we find ourselves today.

it is ironic that one of the most popular readings for weddings is paul's paeon to charity in the 13th chapter of the first letter to the corinthians, a passage part of which reads, 'whether there be knowledge, it shall pass away.   for we know in part . . . .  but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall pass away.  . . . for now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:  now i know in part' but then shall i know even as also i am known.  and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."  (vv. 8-10, 12-13) 

it seems that a recognition of the essential community of the holy trinity is necessary if the church is going to be a bearer of the good news of the kingdom of god.  otherwise she will never recognize the kingdom, even though it is at hand, it is near, it is within us.  our recognition that we are created to be the image of the holy one can be the beginning of our 'being perfect as our father in heaven is perfect.'  without that recognition, we will continue to live against the world and against its creator.