It Kind Of Makes Sense To Use A Fidget Spinner To Explain The Holy Trinity

Apparently, it wasn't enough that fidget spinners were showing up in people's makeup bags and bedrooms — they're now so ubiquitous that they're making appearances in Sunday church sermons, too.

For those who are unfamiliar with fidget spinners, they are handheld toys that have three prongs that are connected by a stationary hub in the center. These prongs can be made to spin around the center at mesmerizing speeds, to the point that the spinner looks less like a three-pronged item and more like a disc. And that's why priests have started using fidget spinners as visual aids at church — turns out, these little guys come in handy when priests are explaining the Holy Trinity. As The Sun reports, many parishioners have been tweeting about wtinessing fidget spinner-themed church sermons.

As silly as it may seem to compare the Holy Trinity to a small toy, these priests' valiant efforts actually highlight a larger issue: It's pretty difficult to explain the Holy Trinity in simple terms.

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Holy Trinity consists of three separate entities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each represents the Christian God on their own, but together they share and reflect God's divinity.

To put a finer point on it, the Athanasian Creed in Catholicism states that the three components of the Trinity are all godly (a.k.a. divine) and share the same purpose, but they shouldn't be worshipped separately. It's their union, in the form of the Trinity, that is supposed to be worshipped.

So, the Holy Trinity is three entities and one at the same time — and don't worry if that doesn't make total sense. The Trinity is known as a mystery in Christianity, or something that is never fully knowable. People can accept it as part of their beliefs and study it for as long as they possibly can, but they'll always be missing something. Accepting this mystery is, therefore, an act of faith.

Like we said, this is a pretty nuanced concept. And if you aren't already familiar with it, or didn't grow up learning about it, getting a sense of the Holy Trinity can be confusing. But, if you find something that helps you visualize it, even if that thing is a trendy (and oft-maligned) toy, there's probably no harm in that. Still confused? You may have to stick around until the next viral meme reaches the church.