YOUTH MATTERS: On Holy Ground – Unity in the Trinity

By Sam Clear, Director of the Office of Youth Evangelisation

There’s a small town called Power in the northern USA state of Montana, just shy of the Canadian border. Population, 153. And whenever I’m asked, “What is unity?” my mind jumps to this tiny remote town.

My brother, Chris, and I were passing through in the middle of winter back in 2007/8 on our way to Canada and were offered hospitality for the night by a wonderful husband and wife.

Their adult son, David, had recently moved back in with them after spending a few years on the road as a stage hand for heavy metal bands. He’d lived the life that comes with that, but had a deep conversion and had recently returned home. He was an amazing guy.

My brother and I loved his company and we shared stories back and forth all night, to the point where we were invited to stay a second night. We happily accepted.

In the early evening of that second day we trudged through the ice and snow to their tiny rural church, which no longer celebrated Mass.

It was incredibly cold! As we reached the icy church door though, David removed his shoes and socks, then walked in barefoot. Chris and I just looked at each other as if to say, “This guy’s nuts!” We kept our boots on, but knelt together in the church for some time and prayed.

On the way home we asked David why he’d removed his shoes and socks. He smiled, “To remind myself that I’m entering holy ground. To remind me of my smallness and God’s greatness.”

Chris and I often reminisce about that moment. It struck us that this young man who had returned to God, did something so significant in that cold winter, every day, as a reminder of humility and sacredness.

As we left the next morning David handed me something that would speak even deeper into my travels. He’d painted a budding tree in front of a freezing Montana sunrise, and on the back, he wrote;

“Come, Oh Blessed Trinity, join hands around my heart.

Introduce: Your light to its darkness

Introduce: Your strength to its fear.

Sing songs, breathe ‘The Word’, into this deflated soul.

Mend this broken body, my shelter, my earthly home;

…And I shall be sure to leave the door open, to you, my Lord.

Sam – May we always be inspired by the unity of the almighty Trinity. David.”