The first Sunday after Pentecost is known in the Christian calendar as ‘Trinity Sunday’, when we celebrate one God in three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. Often, the Holy Spirit is the neglected person of the Trinity; it seems that in church history, the first battles were around proving the divinity of Jesus Christ and in that debate, the Holy Spirit was forgotten. Nonetheless, in modern days, there has been a reawakening of interest in the Holy Spirit as He has worked in power throughout the whole world.
The Holy Spirit is personal, not merely a ‘force’. Just as the Father and Son are holy, He too is holy. His work is to bring people to holiness, to draw people to the Father through the Son. We use different symbols to represent Him (dove, tongues of fire, streams of living water etc.), but these are only symbols, not the full picture. Trinity Sunday reminds us of the need for Father, Son and Spirit (see Matt 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14). We can know fellowship through the Holy Spirit; we must never relegate His importance, nor must we grieve Him. (Eph 4:30) He has a mind and will and can be praised and grieved, but must never be ignored.
