If the Holy Trinity were a band..

who would play what?

:)

No disrespect intended, Lord.

In TS503 we are reviewing all these past and present theologians' attempts to describe the role of the Holy Spirit. They use images like water, wind, gift, bond of love, power, binding force, fire, kiss, etc., and I thought - why not something more current?

And there are different views of who the Spirit is and what He/She/It does. (and the he/she/it issue - is an issue! That varies, too.) So, how might some of those views work out in a contemporary illustration?



Some faith traditions might see the members like this:

Jesus is the front man. The guy who relates to the audience, the one who speaks for the group, plays lead and does the vocals. His is the voice you most often hear. He's the guy you relate to. The one you picture in your head when you hear the song again on the radio.

The Father is the drummer. In the back, less visible and accessible, but setting the beat, driving the rhythm, keeping everyone together and on the same pace. Clicks off the start of each each song right, finishes things with a flourish and a bang. :)

The Spirit is.. everything else. :) He plays all the other instruments as needed (this is a trio, remember), on His synth: bass, keys, horns, samples, loops, all of it. Everything that lends color and life and richness to the sound.



Okay, a little weak? Sure. But you should hear what Bernard of Clairvaux suggested, or Catherine of Siena. Or Hegel! Hoo boy. Even Augustine was kind of over the top on some things (and who'd blame him, given his sordid past? The man had issues. And they spilled over into his theology.)

Hey, I have issues. So I can come up with wacky ideas, too. :)



Some other churches might see it more like this:

The "band" is really just a singer/songwriter. One guy, but multi-faceted, able to embody more than one role.

When he's in private, at home in his studio, he's the songwriter - with all the ideas, the depth, the insight, the poetry, the richness of thought and words. The songs reflect his thoughts. The songwriter is The Father.

When he's on stage, on public display, he's the singer - with all the personality, the humanness, the passion, the engagement, the approachability, the transparency. He brings the songs to life for us. The Singer is Jesus.

Yin and yang. Complementary roles. Interplay. Dual natures, one essence. The singer/songwriter.

The Holy Spirit? He isn't even on stage. You don't see him. He's up in the booth running lights and sound. He creates the effects that add such visual and aural impact to the music. He highlights the singer as he sings, accents the mood of the songs as they change, lets the audience "experience" the music more fully and personally. Not to mention he also books the gigs, recruits the roadies, helps decide the set list and effects, acts as agent, traveling companion (and best friend) for the singer/songwriter. He glues the whole show together.



Okay, half-baked? Dopey?

Maybe. But it's at least modern. And makes you think.

How is it that *you* picture the members of the Trinity working? How do you see them interacting?