You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. – Psalm 45:7

Today's Scripture Reading (October 12, 2022): Psalm 45

One of the essential songs from my youth was Don McLean's "American Pie." The song has been interpreted in many ways. But for me, it has always been about the end of adolescence and our admission into the serious years of adulthood. The song itself is about the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly (aged 22), Richie Valens (aged 17), and "The Big Bopper" Richardson (aged 28). All three musicians seemed to have the best of their careers still ahead of them, but as 1959 gave way to 1960, it was a time of great loss. For me, one of the most significant portions of Don McLean's lyrics comes near the end of the song

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died (Don McLean).

Every time I hear the song, it reminds me of the hopeless moments of life. In McLean's song, the despair is related to the death of three musicians. But there are many circumstances in our life when it feels like the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, really have abandoned us and taken the last train for the coast. And all the hope we could muster has gone to the coast with them.

Or maybe, it is during the trials of life that we give up on believing in the Trinity altogether. And I get it. The Trinity is a hard concept to understand and even harder to describe. I am often challenged to make the idea of the Trinity easier to understand, but that task is often harder than it seems. People often come with simple descriptions, but the single thing that all of these descriptions have in common is that they all fail in some way.

The idea of the Holy Trinity is hard, yet it is also a truth that we must try to understand. And part of the scriptural basis for the Trinity is found in Psalm 45. The Psalm begins talking about a King, But then it morphs into a song about God. And then, it changes again and begins to talk about the coming Messiah. And the Messiah seems to be - God. Speaking about the Messiah, the Psalmist writes, "therefore God [indicating the Messiah], your God [indicating a second person], has set you [the Messiah] above your companions by anointing you." It is hard sometimes to follow, let alone understand. And yet it teaches a reality. God is one, yet we perceive him as three; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But we don't have to understand the Trinity to know that He stands with us, always. Unlike the characterization found in McLean's "American Pie," our Trinity are always with us, and His promises never to leave us. And regardless of what might be happening all around us, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost will never catch the last train for the coast unless that is exactly where we are.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 4

Personal Note: Happy Birthday, Mom.