A Gordie Howe Hat Trick, named in honor of forward Gordie Howe who was famous for his ability to both score and fight during his Hall of Fame career, is a variation on the hat-trick, where a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets in a fight all in one game. There are three distinctly different aspects or parts that make up one Gordie Howe Hat Trick – the goal, the assist, and the fight. The Trinity can be a tough concept, but like the Gordie Howe Hat Trick which has three dis tinct parts, the Trinity has three distinct Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – who are one God.
“For many Christians, the Trinity is an abstract principle, a confusing and difficult doctrine that they believe, although they are not really sure why in their honest moments.” says James R. White in his article Loving the Trinity." And who would have thought this could easily be solved by comparing it to a Gordie Howe Hat Trick? In seriousness, it can be tough to explain, and tough to grasp, but it’s important to know what the Bible says, and to more and more understand who God is.
There are many Scriptures that refer to the different persons of the Trinity, but the Scripture listed above identify each of them as God. God the Father (Eph 1:3), God the Son, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), and God the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:18). And yet scripture is also very clear that there is only one God – “This is what the LORD says- Israel’s King and Re deemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” – Isaiah 44:6 - and that the Lord is one (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Reflecting on the Trinity gives a sense of awe for God, and in some sense, the difficulty of understanding the Trinity is encouraging, to know that God is not so simple or small that we can comprehend His fullness or put Him in a box. And yet, our God is an extremely personal God – One who dwells within us and adopts us as His children, and helps us to know Him (1 Corinthians 2).
As a hockey player, it’s easy to talk about what a goal, an assist, and a fight and to easily say they combine to make up Gordie Howe Hat Trick. As a Christian, we should be able to talk about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and to have some understanding that these three distinct Persons combine to make up the one true God.
If someone asked you ‘Who is God’, what would you tell them? ∙ How would you describe the Trinity to someone?
How can we grow in our understanding of difficult scriptures or Bibli cal concepts such as the Trinity?
Which Person of the Trinity do you feel you know the least? Which one do you feel you know the best?
What role does each Person of the Trinity play in your life?