Trinity Sunday: Progressive Revelation

In today's gospel pericope [Jno. 16: 12-15] Jesus leads off with a remarkable statement, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth."   We understand the part about the Spirit leading the Church into all truth.  However, what does that first part mean?  Are the disciples so stupid they can't absorb any more information?   Or maybe they are already grieving for Jesus and cannot concentrate!   Either of the premises is possible, but I don't think so.  I believe he is saying that, for their own time and place, disciples have heard as much as was by then to be revealed.  I believe that later revelation, what we denominate progressive revelation, will deal with concepts then undiscovered in human reality,  And additionally the Spirit will lead in the gradual realization of Jesus' call for non-judgmental love and inclusion of all God's children in his new community.

Let's imagine the conversation takes a different turn.  Jesus says o.k., let me tell you that people will eventually learn from science that life forms have gradually evolved over many aeons, and that little demons do not cause epilepsy, mental illness, nor any physical disabilities; rather, tiny organisms called germs and other later-understood biological factors produce them.  Could the disciples have processed that?  No, it would be "mind blown. "  Or suppose that Jesus had said that the bishops succeeding the apostles down through the ages would one day include many women, as would all orders of ministry.  They could never have caught onto that  Maybe Jesus would have said that the Church, at first open only to Jews on Pentecost, soon would be open to Gentiles and that one day, far in future, we would learn that gay and lesbians people are alright, and to be loved, accepted,  and respected in the Church.  They would not have begun to understand!  Jesus had revealed what could be revealed in that time, place, and culture.

The Spirit reveals over time new truths and calls us to sharper views of spiritual reality.  That, really, sums the Holy Trinity in action:  The will of the Father (who wants all his children and his creation  loved and cared for)  reflected perfectly in the life and teachings of the Son, and the Spirit calling us to replicate Christ, however imperfectly, so we may become change agents for the fulfillment of God's new vision.  We can only imagine the perfect love flowing amongst the Persons, calling us to love as God does, for God is love.