{The Experience of the Trinity}[20th March 1988]

[Redbook5:108-109][19880320:1650f]{The Experience of the Trinity}[20th March 1988]

.1650

[continued]

It occurs to me that whereas I can more-or-less describe God the Son, as Christ, and identify him according to that description; and that although I cannot really describe God the Father in words, I can to an extent remember him in my mind as I was last aware of him,* i.e. as a Being distinct from myself who has certain identifiable (if more-or-less indescribable) qualities; nevertheless I cannot describe the Spirit at all, except in terms of what it does to me: its presence is immediate, and I cannot perceive it separated from myself, even with the inner sense, even though I know that I am not identical with it.**

I cannot conceive of the Spirit (except as a matter of dry logical analysis) as it is when I am not directly aware of it; whereas I can conceive of the Father as he is when I am not directly aware of him.*** (In the case of the Son, my conception of him makes me directly aware of him – which is rather different.)

This characteristic of the Spirit makes some sense if the Spirit is in each of us as the Spirit of God, as well as being God the Spirit. It would not be possible to conceive of it (for example, imaginatively) as separated from us, because it is not separated from us. The fact that it comes (i.e. reveals itself to us) when it wills, not when we will,**** does not contradict this.#

*or his touch – see VI []. <891008>

**(& that it is independent of me)

***-- his touch. <891008>

****[In [Redbook5:105][19880320:1650b]{The Coming of the Trinity}[20th March 1988], this characteristic is ascribed to the Father. However, the description there of the Spirit strongly implies that this characteristic is attributable to the Spirit also. <20180329>]

#{(But see [[Redbook5:202-205][19880702:0914]{God at the Centre}[2nd July 1988],] 202ff)}

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