When I was a child, I used to play with three sticks. I would form them into a triangular shape that would stand upon the ground by itself. Three poles are the minimum required so that the shape could stand with no other assistance. Rain, cloud and wind are the three key elements of climate change. Father, mother and children are the basic family members. Creator, nature and humanity are the three aspects of creation. Of course there are many other similar examples of relationships of three. So sometimes we wonder, why only three? Why are there so many significant meanings in triangular relationships?
As a local church minister who has been studying the Bible and thinking about God, for me one of the most difficult parts of the understanding of God's existence is the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the three aspects of God's being and working for creation. For a while I didn't pay much attention to the triune ways of God's reality. But recently it has come to my attention due to that mental problems have become the number one social issue.
It has been reported that mental illnesses, especially in the younger generation, are more serious health problems than any other illness, even cancers. Although I was not trained to be a medical practitioner or a counsellor of mental health, I am confident that the mental issues are somehow and sometimes closely related to spiritual matters. Body, mind and soul (spirit), these three entities, cannot and will not be separated from one another as long as we human beings are living in this world. But each one of them can be ignored or malnourished for various reasons or due to an abusive and addicted life style. So we need to keep a balance between them with physical, mental and spiritual nourishment.
Everyone wants to become what they really wish to be. It is called "the ideal-self". But everyone always falls short to what they want to be, staying in "the real-self." And other people see and know who you are as "the other-self." Therefore each of us carries these three self-identities throughout our lives. Depending on how each of these three self-identities work together in cooperation and collaboration, an individual can have a strong self-identity of who they are and what they are in work, human relationships and self-actualization.
On the other hand, when each self exists separately or is too distant from each other, a mental problem can be aggravated such as bipolar disorder, multiple-personality syndrome, or schizophrenia and so on. Whenever I am faced with this issue of an identity problem that may cause a mental disorder, I think about God's being in the Holy Trinity, without confusion, without contradiction and without being controlled by one another, but in perfect harmony, corroboration and self-control. So Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
