The Missing Third…

In church we like to talk about Jesus (son). We even don’t mind talking about God (father), but what about the Holy Spirit? How much time do we spend talking about him?

Why does the Holy Spirit weird us out?

Why does a conversation all of a sudden turn weird or get hokey when we start to mention the Spirit?

It has always intrigued me why so many Christians seem to be uncomfortable with this third of the Trinity. And yet really we should be most comfortable with it. After all, the Spirit lives within us and our bodies house him.

Is it because we don’t like the idea of following something that is seemingly even less tangible than Jesus or God? Or is it because we don’t like the idea of being led by someone other than ourselves?

“What does the Spirit do? His works are ineffable in majesty and innumerable in quantity. How can we even ponder what extends beyond the ages? What did he do before creation began? How great are the graces he showered on creation? What power will he wield in the age to come? He existed, he pre-existed, he co-existed with the Father and Son before the ages. Even if you can imagine anything beyond the ages, you will discover the Spirit is even further beyond.” St Basil the Great

Thoughts?

Beyond just differences in denominational beliefs, why do you think the Holy Spirit is such a difficult subject?