Thoughts on Trinity through the lens of Italy

Lila - my English speaking Amica - So lovely to chat with!

This is Sunday is Trinity Sunday, it is about the holy relationship between God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  Funny thing is that for most of us Christians we've heard the drill over the course of years, but for some of my family who I chat with on Facebook, they didn't know.  Most people in the northern USA are unchurched, they have no history of concepts Christian, these are people who often need to hear the essence of Jesus' message:  we are HERE to be in relationship.
Whether guided by the image of God-Jesus-Spirit as eternally present in the world, or Jesus' teaching the disciples to love neighbor...and enemies.  The reality is that there is a purpose to life, and that is to be in relationship with one another.  When it all comes down, we are the people we are because of the relationships that have informed us from birth.  We become more fully a reflection of God's love when we enter into relationships with neighbors and all people we encounter with a sense of grace.
As I reflect on all the people I met it Italy, and realize how much I desperately wanted wanted to talk and get to know the folks more.  Yet, the gift of our limited communication was that we still had the opportunity for relationship.  Whether within the church, in the shops, or in the caffe, I had the opportunity to meet so many people and start new relationships.  No matter where we are in the world God gives us the neighbors, people to come into relationship with.
One of the great tragedies of the modern age of travel is that we can go from here to there so quick, and continue our rushed pace of life that we often lead back home.  So much so that we often travel to exotic places to see exotic sites and never think about the people who call this place home.  As if the exotic places and sites formed themselves.  The question I was asked by multiple tourists was what did I like best in Italy, in the end it was the people.  But sad to say when the question was turned back on them the answer was a place, a building, or the wine.  I felt like I won the prize of Italy, I encountered God in the love of neighbors half a world away.
It is the people who built beautiful cities such as Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto and Cortona, the people who cultivate amazing olives, wines and oaks for truffles to thrive.  The people who nurtured and were informed by saints Francis, Clare, Benedict,  Scholastica and more.   To travel to see the world, we should be first ready to not only see, but to meet and greet the people who bring the Spirit to a place.
The holy trinity is a reflection of what we are all called to be - different entities in one relationship.  Now I think it is very handy that the Italians and most other people in the world have more than 1 word for love, because the idea that we are to love our neighbors and share in relationship can mean many things.  But in the end it does first start with caring enough to see people, to acknowledge their identity of children of God, and to celebrate that we have yet one more opportunity to love our neighbor and build new, and in my experience in Italy, blessed relationships.

Sweet Eleda, who served more than chocolates, she served up Love!

Omar knew some English, some Spanish and could sort of understand my words if only I would "piano, piano..."