Remember the little fable about the blind men who come upon an elephant? The men were trying to determine what an elephant is like. Each described the elephant from a different point of view. They concluded that the elephant was perhaps like a rope, or a basket, or a pipe. As one writer put it:
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right
And all were in the wrong!
No matter who we are, we can only describe part of the elephant, because we each have just part of the right answer. We are blinded by our own perceptions, nurturing, and ego. We don’t see the whole picture. Since all of us have a touch of blindness, we need to find a guide who can actually see things clearly and tell us the truth. This whole story of the blind men and the elephant reminds me of the way we sometimes view our faith. We imagine that our version of faith view is the right one, maybe the only right one, and so we are likely to find all other faiths somewhat flawed. We respect them, but like the blind men in the story, we only see from the view of our own experience.
Blind guides only share part of the story. They only tell you things as they see them. Most of us want more than that. We want to have our eyes opened to the One who holds the truth and sees everything clearly. We want to be ready to hear the only voice of authority that truly exists. When we allow God to be our guide, we don’t suffer from confusion. We don’t have to question what an elephant is or what our faith should look like. We don’t have to wonder who God is, or what He would have us do. We simply have to open our eyes and touch the hand of the One who created us. When we do, the scales fall away. We get the picture and are able to describe things as they really are. More than that, we discover how much more there is for us to know and to see.
If you’re feeling uncertain about who can guide your path in life, then simply look up. Seek your Creator who reigns, and is in control, and shines a light on your direction. No matter what part of the elephant you choose to describe, He will enlarge your vision. He will help you take more confident steps forward. There is only one authority over Heaven and Earth who knows you, and sees everything you do. He looks with love into your heart and gives you the whole story.
Let His peace fill your heart and mind today. God holds you in the palm of His hand.