"The God Who Loves" a sermon for Trinity Sunday (5/31/26)

St. Augustine once wrote that God is best understood as a community of love.  God exists as a relationship of love between God’s Self, God the Son (Jesus), and God’s Holy Spirit.  There is so much love within the Triune God, that the love overflows beyond the Trinity into creation.  You see, love always seeks an object.

And so, in lavish love, God calls forth creation: “sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters; and every living thing” (EP 2, EOW; cf. Genesis 1).  Finally, God calls forth human beings as bearers of God’s image.  Man and woman created equally.  Male and female both made with God’s capacity to love and to be loved.

In that same love, you and I are sent into the world.  To share that abundant love with those we encounter day in and day out (Matthew 28:18-20).  So that they, too, can come to know God’s love.  I have said this before, but it bears repeating.  You and I might be the only Bible someone reads.  The only way God’s love is encountered.

            Right now, we have a deficit of love.  Anger and hatred seem to carry the day.  All too often, we encounter division.  Anger, hatred, and division happen because we are hurting people living in a broken world.  That is not God’s intention for us in creation.  God wants unity and peace for creation, including humanity.

            The Corinthians can relate, I think.  As followers of Jesus, the Corinthians are having their own issues.  For example, the community is divided over spiritual gifts.  Some think their gift is better than the gifts given to another.  There are also tensions between the rich and the poor in the community.

            Last week, at Pentecost, we heard how Paul encouraged harmony and unity.  Paul writes in Chapter 12 that there are many gifts.  All gifts are given by the same Holy Spirit to be used in service of God and neighbor.  However, Paul also notes that if the gifts are not used in love, then the gifts are worthless (c 13).

What Paul and Augustine are both getting at, I think, is the idea that humanity should reflect the love found within and pouring out of the Trinity.  God’s radical, lavish love should especially be found in the church.  All our relationships should mirror God’s self-giving love as found in the Holy Trinity.

            Such selfless love is scary!  Our love can be rejected.  Our love may make us targets or hatred.  That is the messy nature of love that pushes us out of our comfort zones.  That is the love of the Trinity, shown to us by Jesus.  When Jesus calls His friends to love one another, Jesus did not put limits or barriers on love (John 13:34-35).

In fact, elsewhere, Jesus doubles down.  Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who hurt us.  This is Ph. D. level love, as others observe.  Matthew chapter 5 verses 43-44 (MSG) say:

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’  I’m challenging that.  I’m telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.  When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.”

Now it probably isn’t possible for you and me to love everyone.  There are those individuals who seem to love going out of their way to be unlovable.  We are still encouraged to try.  That is why God gives us the church and our families.  So that you and I have lots of opportunities for practicing how to love.

This Trinity Sunday, this week, may you and I go forth in the love of the Holy Trinity to be love to a world that is broken and hurting, and desperately in need of love.  May our words and our thoughts be kind.  May our actions be guided by divine love and mercy, remembering the loving grace God has shown to us.  AMEN.