For many of us, the word Trinity brings to mind something abstract, confusing, and far away. Maybe you picture three figures on thrones somewhere in a distant heaven—majestic, powerful, and, let’s be honest, mostly male. Maybe you’ve wondered, “What does the Trinity have to do with me? What does it even mean?”
If you’ve ever felt that God is “up there” while you’re “down here” trying to be spiritual enough to earn a glance—this blog is for you.
Because the truth is: God is not a distant boardroom of divine figures. The Trinity is a relational dance of Love. And you are already included smack dab in the middle of it!
The early church understood this. Before religion distorted the picture, the first believers knew something we’ve forgotten: You weren’t made to earn your way into God’s favor. You were made to live in union with Him—Father, Son, and Spirit. That union is your origin. It’s your inheritance. And it’s your destiny.
The Trinity Is Not a Hierarchy—It’s a Dance of Love
So often, we think of the Trinity in hierarchical terms: God the Father at the top, Jesus beneath Him, and the Holy Spirit as some vague afterthought. But that picture isn’t biblical—and it certainly isn’t beautiful.
The early church fathers described the Trinity as perichoresis—a mutual indwelling, an eternal circle dance of self-giving love. No power struggle. No subordination. Just perfect, joyful unity.
Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father” (John 14:9). There’s no hierarchy here—only harmony. No competition—only communion.
And this matters. Because when we imagine God as hierarchical, we often relate to Him through performance, not presence. We think He’s watching from above, waiting to judge or correct. But the real Trinity doesn’t work like that. They don’t dominate each other—and they won’t dominate you either!
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” – Ephesians 5:21
This isn’t just instruction for us. It’s a reflection of Who God is.
Holy Spirit: The Often-Forgotten Feminine Expression of God
Let’s talk about the One Who is perhaps the most misunderstood Person of the Trinity: Holy Spirit.
As I share in my book God, Male & Female?:
“God admonished me that it is time to share, saying: ‘I want you to teach on My dual feminine and masculine nature. I AM above the gender issue, and it is important that My kids grow in seeing Me rightly. I AM neither male nor female but engender both.’”
In Hebrew, the word ruach—Spirit—is grammatically feminine. In scripture, we see the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis 1:2, a word that evokes a mother bird brooding over her young. In Isaiah 66:13, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”
This isn’t heresy. It’s history. It’s in the Bible and holds water, if properly interpreted.
The Holy Spirit isn’t just fire and wind and mystery. She is Comforter, Counselor, Nurturer. The One Who whispers when you’re weary and brings life when you feel barren. And when you begin to know Her, the image of God begins to soften and expand. You realize: God is not just strong—He’s tender. Not just just—He’s nurturing.
Jesus: The Glory of God in Feminine Flesh
Yes, Jesus came as a man—but He revealed the fullness of God, including feminine expressions.
In the original Greek of John 1:14, the words for “flesh,” “glory,” “grace,” and “truth” are all feminine nouns. Isn’t that amazing? The masculine Word became feminine flesh—and revealed the glory of God full of grace and truth.
Jesus wept. He held children. He cooked breakfast for tired fishermen. He called a woman “daughter” in front of a crowd that had only ever called her unclean. His strength made room for softness, and His love dismantled hierarchy.
In Jesus, we see a God Who breaks the boxes of our gendered expectations. He reveals a divine nature that includes strength and surrender, passion and peace, justice and mercy.
“There is neither male nor female… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28
Union, Not Distance: What the Early Church Really Believed
One of the greatest tragedies of modern Christianity is how far we’ve drifted from the message of union.
The early church knew that salvation wasn’t about getting God to come near—it was about awakening to the nearness already given. They believed we were in Christ, and Christ in us. They believed we shared in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). They believed Jesus wasn’t just a bridge to God, He was the place where we meet and dwell in God.
But over time, the Western church turned that union into distance. God became separate, “out there,” watching from heaven. Jesus became a lawyer pleading our case before an angry Father. And the Spirit became… optional.
No wonder so many of us feel disconnected.
But it was Jesus Himself who prayed:
“Father, I pray that they may be one, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us.” – John 17:21
The invitation has always been intimacy. Always been inclusion. You’re not on the outside trying to work your way in. You’re already inside the circle of Love.
God Is Not Male or Female—God Is the Fullness of Both
Let’s say it clearly: God is not a man. God is not a woman. God is Spirit. But that Spirit expresses both masculine and feminine beauty and attributes.
Genesis tells us, “God created humankind in His image… male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
So if both male and female are in His image, then both reveal something essential about Who God is.
To know God fully, we must stop limiting Him to the masculine. We must stop projecting our cultural hierarchy onto the divine. And we must stop preaching a God Who looks nothing like Jesus.
Let this truth wash over you:
You were made in the image of a relational, radiant, inclusive God. A God Who comforts like a mother, defends like a father, nurtures like a friend, and sacrifices like a Savior. You don’t have to choose which part is yours—because you were made from the fullness of Love.
Let Love Heal Your Image of God
Beloved, God is not far away. God is not distant. He is not a detached “three-in-one” entity somewhere above the clouds. God is Love. And Love came close.
Healing your image of the Trinity means healing your image of God. And healing your image of God means healing how you see yourself.
You were made from Love. Made in Love. Made for Love.
And right now—wherever you are—Love is holding you.
So I bless you with this:
May the Father show you how cherished you’ve always been.
May the Son reveal how included you already are.
And may the Spirit awaken in you the beauty of the image you reflect.
Love, Catherine Toon
P.S. I just scratched the surface on this rich, gorgeous topic. For more, see my book, God, Male & Female?— https://amzn.to/49hzCIM