Parables Sharing Circle

Parables are simple stories, supposedly easy to understand that are used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. They are a crucial  part of many spiritual books and were used by Jesus to simplify life lessons He needed to share with humanity.

Parables have a much deeper meaning with the intention to help us navigate our lives easily but we have forgotten to place those teachings in our daily lives and many times we repeat the same lesson again and again without even realising.

We believe that because the sacred books were written so long ago and can be hard to relate to, they have little or any value for us anymore, but even after more than 2000 years, they are  as valuable today as they once were. 

Let's put to the side all that religion has thought us, lets challenge our own beliefs and together lets read them again through fresh eyes. 

I would like to share with you the parable of "The Blind Men and the Elephant":

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. 

Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it.

The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". Another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. 

The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear. 

As their descriptions of the elephant were different from each other, they come to suspect that the other person is dishonest and they come to blows. A sighted man enters the parable and describes the entire elephant from various perspectives.

The blind men then learn that they were all partially correct and partially wrong as while one's subjective experience is true, it may not be the totality of truth and even if their experience were real, it was still limited.

What we really need for deeper understanding, is to start by respecting our differences, treat each other with love like Jesus did and strive to understand better.  

ALL FAITHS ARE WELCOME... 

Jesus is part of most religions  so, our intention here is  not to convert but to  share His love and provide inner peace through community spirit.