But at the risk of sounding heretical, I don't want to jettison analogies either. Why? Because all art, at least all religious art, is to some point analogical. For instance, consider Andrei Rublev's icon of the Trinity, seen below.
Consider that in contrast to these images.
As we approach Trinity Sunday, perhaps we need more analogies, more metaphors, more images and music, more abstract depictions of who God is and what God does in the world. Like Patrick's analogies, all will fall short of fully and faithfully describing the fullness of God. Yet, each can offer us a new perspective on God that we haven't seen before. Each may offer a new lens that may magnify or clarify God's identity in ways we couldn't have seen without the analogy. We'll never fully grasp the fullness of God, but each new look helps us to know God more. That's a beauty worth exploring, even through our bad analogies. And Patrick's, too.