Mom's Cup of Tea

By Gerald Sumeracki

Mark stared at the three examples before him. His chemistry professor 
had talked about the various dynamics of water in last week's lab class 
and something in what he learned had triggered a deeper search into a 
mystery he had wondered about since grade school. 

Mark was twenty, a young man with a mission. Yes indeed, Mark wanted 
to one day be a great surgeon. The mystery his mind brought to focus this 
bright Spring morning started in Sister Mary's religion class in the Third 
grade...or was it the Fourth? In any case she had been teaching on the Holy 
Trinity and Mark remember that old story of St. Patrick and the Shamrock, 
"a three leaf on one stem" simplistic explanation of a most profound puzzle.

Mark was standing in front of the kitchen stove and watched the steam 
blowing out of the kettle's whistle spout. Next to the stove was a glass 
of ice water he had just poured and place there to satisfy his thirst as he 
made his mom her favorite morning drink, a cup of herbal tea.

Water, ice, steam. Mark thought about what Professor Rosnick had 
discussed, three forms of the same compound! Three leafs as a kid, 
now three forms of a simple compound. Thoughts of the lesson the nun 
taught intermingled with the lecture of Professor Rosnick.

"Man, this is something!" Mark mused, "God is One in Three just like 
Sister Mary taught." He smiled as he reflected on this renewed insight. 
So much dispute surrounded this Christian doctrine and its meaning had 
eluded Mark for years. One God, three persons...how?

Steam: Two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen. Gas.
Water: Two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen. Liquid.
Ice:   Two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen. Solid.

All were the same compound, yet each had dynamics unique to its state 
of being. "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" thought Mark, "Hey, I get!" 
The uniqueness of each came from its "personality," its "mission" or 
"purpose" in the physical sense, yet each was still: "Two atoms of Hydrogen 
and one atom of Oxygen."

Her eyebrow raised as Mark served the tea. "Son" she asked, "What's 
that cute twinkle in your eyes all about?" Mark reached for his text books 
on the table next to her, "Oh, just a realization that God is a great 
teacher mom. He can even use a simple compound to explain Himself."

Mark's mom though about Mark's remark as he left for his morning 
classes at the university, "Thank you Lord for working in my son's life. 
He'll do you proud one day!"

"Ummm!" she said as she sipped her tea, "one of Mark's best cups!"

Mark reflected on his renewed insight. "One thing Lord," he prayed 
as he entered his first morning class, "How do you exist as all three 
at once?" God whispered, "Another time Mark, another time."