The Three-Legged Stool

Although Christmas is a time of rejoicing in the birth of Christ  that is widely celebrated by many, Easter is much less recognized universally as a time of celebration.  The whole meaning of Christ's death and resurrection, the central point of the Christian faith, is  much more difficult to understand and grasp fully, even for devoted Christians.

Not long ago, I sat on a beautifully crafted light pine three-legged stool.  It was simple and yet solid and extremely comfortable.  Somehow, the sense of that solidly stable and secure piece of furniture has lodged itself in the rooms of my soul.  It speaks to me of my own journey of body, mind and spirit and also of the coming together of the reality of God;  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in my own heart. 

It is at this time of Easter that the reality of God in His three expressions most clearly comes together.  God, the central Father of the Trinity, is the expression of wisdom of the mind.  Jesus, coming to earth in full bodily form, is the tangible and important rooting to this earth.  It is only after Jesus dies and leaves this earth, that the full expression of the Holy Spirit, our comforter, is fully known to all.  Like my stool, these three expressions of the one God are each vitally and indispensably  important for the solid security of the faith.  In my own growth in body, mind and spirit, I have known deeper balance and stability with each of those parts of me.  It is so easy to become off kilter and to value one expression of God as more valuable than another.  Similarly, in my own journey, I often get lost in my own active mind, tending to race off in my spirit like Icarus, flying so close to the sun that his wings begin to melt.  I tend to disconnect from my own physical bodily reality.  My journey has involved acknowledging and accepting more deeply my earthly roots and being securely grounded while still embracing wisdom and mystery.

This spring I have been immersed and encouraged by the writings of John Vaillant.  I read his second work, "The Tiger" some weeks ago and am now reading "The Golden Spruce."  Both works have  a grounded sense of wisdom and spirit that has enriched me rather like my solid three-legged stool.  The real life stories are firmly rooted in time and place with rich detail and appreciation.  Vaillant has keen understanding and wisdom in the wide breadth of the full range of human nature while at the same time weaving the reality of spirit and the mystery of the unknown into the rich and deep stories that touched my soul.

The grounded wisdom and mystery of the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as man, God and spirit is woven intricately into the fabric of my own life soul and story.  In these days may I experience and feel the full integrated richness of God; Father, Son and Spirit, present through life, death and resurrection in all my being; mind, body and spirit.  The three-legged stool in my soul.  God's firm and solid base at the heart of my being.