Dear brothers and sisters in Christ
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Unlike other Sunday worship
in which we celebrate the great acts of God, Trinity Sunday
celebrates a doctrine, the doctrine of the Trinity, the three
Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When I was at Bible College, I was surprised to learned that it
is a Western feast. I was also deeply struck by the fact that
Eastern Orthodox churches do not need to observe it as a
special feast since trinitarian rhythms are woven more
thoroughly into their liturgy. For them, the gospel is
participating in the full, vibrant and abundant life with the
Triune God.
In writing my Master’s thesis on the theme of how to
communicate with the good news to the Japanese, I explored
the Eastern Orthodox doctrine, as it has natural connection
with many aspects of the Japanese worldview. I believe it
resonates well with non-Christian Japanese (and many others)
and help them to see how what Christ offers is good news. We
do not have space to talk about it, but if you are interested, I
am happy to have a conversation with you
Have a blessed Trinity Sunday!
Yukiko
The following poem, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
might be good starting point for looking at the complex
character of Nicodemus, who is a main character in our gospel
reading this Sunday.
