Awakening to Wholeness is a series of prompts, reflections, and teachings about how holding the tension of opposites can help us to heal division and experience wholeness. If you feel moved to share your own reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
During high school at TEC retreats, we received a stern warning: boys are blue, and girls are red—don’t make purple! While definitely a clear message from our leaders about social-sexual expectations, this binary warning also reveals the cultural undercurrents about our caution, concern, and even fear about what might happen when we mix up things that seem different—even opposite—from one another. Unfortunately, such worry and fear stifle the potentially transformative Power of Three.
German philosopher Georg Hegel recognized the Power of Three. In his model, the Hegelian Dialectic, one force serves as a proposed “thesis.” A second force, its opposite, serves as the “anti-thesis.” The formation of a “new thing,” through a third force, is the “synthesis” of the previous two. In order for the life-giving synthesis to emerge, two opposing forces first have to meet, to brush up against one another, to have an impact on one another.
In my lived experience, I see this encounter of opposites in my relationship with my husband—his Spanish, my English; his assertiveness, my receptivity; and so on. Certainly, we see the energy of the encounter of opposites in the banter of our public discourse: conservative and liberal, blue and red. Given this larger context, what would a healthy, mature “purple” look like in American public discourse and everyday civil interactions? Given the tremendous energy produced through the back and forth banter of opposing forces, imagine the amazing possibilities for transformation if the synthesis between red and blue was allowed to resolve.
The Christian naming and imaging of God as Trinitarian offers a glimpse of hope through the Power of Three. Julian of Norwich helpfully defines the Trinity not only as three persons, but also assigns each person with particular qualities: the Truth of the fatherhood of the first person protects; the Wisdom of the motherhood of the second person perfects; the Goodness of the Lordship of the third person rewards and fulfills. Each of the three persons of the Trinity (Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier) retains their own particular quality, yet they always work together in service of Love. In the dance of perichoresis (mutual outpouring), each person is integrally related to each of the others.
Imagine the fabulous new “purple thing” that could emerge when red and blue recognize the contribution and activity of the other! The transformative Power of Three is the Mystery of “the More” that emerges when particular entities draw from within and then go out beyond themselves to become a new thing, both inclusive of and more than the original entity. At EHoP, we see this transformative dance at work in the three steps of contemplative dialogue: grounding in self, opening to others, and seeking God. Resolving the transformative power of three is hard, skilled work.
Are you inspired by the potential of the Power of Three? Are you committed to your own inner work? Are you willing to see and be open to the inner reality of others? Do you have faith in the Goodness of God? In others? In yourself? Consider aligning your life force within the Power of Three and join in the dance of perichoresis!
Contemplative Questions
We offer the following questions as prompts to help you reflect on the presence of opposites in your spiritual practice and your life.
- What binaries are you holding onto? What would it look like if you let a transformative third option emerge?
- What activities, communities, or relationships in your life bring you into contact with people or things that are different—even completely opposite—from yourself? How have others changed you? How have you changed others?
- Think about the three steps of contemplative dialogue: grounding in self, opening to others, and seeking God. How have they transformed you? How are they currently transforming you?
Join the conversation! If you feel moved to share your reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
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