Tremendous Three

We wait during this third week of advent. A braid is made of three stands. It takes three legs to make a steady seat or table. It takes at least three points to draw a straight line. Three votes help break a tie. We count to three when we want a child to mind. One of my favorite truisms is from the sage Anonymous, who states: “When you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you.” That’s one way to take the heat out of an argument! One of my customers includes this quote by Henry James in all of his presentations where he makes people aware of Mental Health issues: “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” Which falls in line with a Japanese proverb, “One kind word can warm three winter months.” That’s a global warming that wouldn’t melt icecaps! Tom Bodett may not have had Advent in mind, but it seems quite appropriate: “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”

My prayer for the congregation?

Triune God, we praise thee three in one. During Advent we focus our attention on the return of the Messiah. We await the star, the shepherds, the manger, and the babe. We await the son who we separate from the father and from the spirit, placing the three in a perfect triangle of holiness, a perfect triad of wisdom. The scriptures point us in the hope of a savior, the zenith of Advent, weighing our thoughts towards the one who is to come. We see one part of the whole. How can we begin to round the angles until it forms a circle where one can’t tell where one begins and another ends? Can we picture a perfect circle of love? Can we see the world beyond our small part? Can we say a kind word to warm a cold soul? Can we avoid placing blame without recognizing our own contributions? Can we steady a shaky relationship? Can we truly be happy? You have loved us lavishly, we have things to do in your name joyfully, and you have given us hope abundantly. Amen.