Interpretation, the Lens.

This cartoon has to be one of my favorite works from David Hayward.

"Truth" is subject to the lens of one's interpretation.



Related post: The Elephant and the Four Blind Men

Was Jesus Advocating Cannibalism?

"Just because Jesus talked about yeast, that in a literal sense is used to make bread, doesn’t mean he was talking literally about bread. Just because Jesus talked about being put outside with gnashing of teeth doesn’t mean he was talking about some kind of eternal torture. Just because Jesus talked about eating his flesh doesn’t mean he is talking about cannibalism.

We have to look into his words for the deeper, more divine message he shared if we want to actually understand what he is really talking about. That requires both humility and time, because it will only be revealed to us in God’s timing, not ours. Sometimes, that means walking for months, years or even decades without a full arsenal of definite answers. This is also not a bad thing."

This is an excerpt from Mick Mooney's post - The Problem With Interpreting Jesus' Words Literally

The Elephant and the Four Blind Men

Since God is invisible to our physical eyes, the conclusions we make about him can be speculative in nature. However, it does necessarily mean that it is blind though.

The experiential reality that the four blind men had while exploring an elephant were true to them. Yet, their individual experiences were not the complete picture. 

Religion, or rigid beliefs within a particular religious system, happens when a blind person's interpretation (regardless of how real it is) is elevated to the one and only truth. 

My bet is on the elephant, rather than the blind men's interpretations, regardless of how true they are to each one of them.

Not one of us, can claim that we know it all. Right now, we only know in part. Common sense, wisdom and humility can acknowledge that; but a mindset that is driven by fear and insecurity, abhors it.

The Idiocy of our Popular Belief

Galileo was called a heretic by the church and was arrested for saying that the earth revolved around the sun, because it stood against the church's then-prevalent interpretation of the scripture (even though he did not see that his findings stood contrary to the scripture). 

We look back and laugh at the idiocy of the actions of the church.

There will come a day, probably couple of generations down the lane, when everyone will laugh at the idiocy regarding the now-prevalent belief that, God who is Love, would FRY his creation, ENDLESSLY. 

The forerunners of this revelation, will no doubt, be classified as "heretics" now; but that is the price for sharing what the heart knows already.

This truth cannot be taught or shoved down, but only proclaimed. The seekers will find it.

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
My Thoughts on Raising Hell

A Collective Confession of those who have moved beyond Evangelicalism

Click here to read the "collective confession of sorts reflecting the thoughts and feelings of those of us who have moved beyond evangelicalism", by Frank Viola

What we believe about the Bible

"No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says; he is always convinced that it says what he means." 

- George Bernard Shaw

Seek and ye shall find an Interpretation

Jesus did not say, "Seek and ye shall find the popular interpretation that fits your social, cultural or moral conditioning."

He simply said, "Seek and ye shall find."

I'm Right!

Cartoon, by David Hayward

 

Truth vs Interpretation

The Bible is an ocean that cannot be limited by one interpretation. When we think we have the handle on the truth, what's usually happening is that we are merely backing one interpretation of the truth.

The Christian world is littered with interpretations. The last I checked, there are close to 40,000 Christian denominations. 40,000 groups saying, "I'm right". And each one of them base their positions from the same manuscript.

Interpretations are often mistaken for the truth. Yes, there may be nuggets of truth in them, but, in my view, it can never be the complete picture. God will never be contained in our favorite doctrinal bowl. We won't see the full spectrum until we cross over.