One of the greatest and most ancient ways to tell a story is by using parables. Like a metaphor or symbol, a parable is larger than the actual story. Parable tells a story that is more-than-true, even if it never historically happened. Our emphasis (mostly in the west) on historical accuracy and reliability has greatly hindered the beauty of parable to be witnessed in all of its wonder and depth. Parable is art. It tells the truth without needing to break out a Venn diagram or spreadsheet. It dances in and through the guts of real life things and reminds us of the most important things without spelling out the message in plain writing. Parable opens doors and windows in hearts that are receptive and not in a rush. Parable is provocative and pointed. Parable is like a many-sided-gem, revealing something new with each glance time after time. Jesus told parables and spoke in metaphor to lead us beyond black and white into colorful life. These symbols and metaphors transform us as we ourselves change and transform — even the same symbol or metaphor can mean different things in different seasons as we need different things from life. A person of the Spirit understands that distinction and is constantly opening themselves to the new thing God is wanting to reveal through the symbol, sign, metaphor, parable in our midst right here, right now.
The thing about parables is that they are paradoxically literal. They clash up against the parts of you that are in process and bring to light the things that are real. They open you up and free you, if you let them. They are easy to find and can be found in most anything. That is really the point I want to make in this writing– that everything can be your teacher; everything is parabolic for the narrative. Parable blurs the lines between reality and metaphor.
Your life is a narrative. It is a story of odds and ends. Most of the time this story is thought of to be inward facing, meaning we see ourselves as the main character in the story of life with our name in the title. We can easily turn life into a reality show about ourselves. I think the center is around both God and Us. The entire world. Regardless of race, political party, gender, orientation, religion, etc. It’s a partnership. A dance. A song that we’re invited into together. In his Dogmatics, Barth speaks of God’s relationship to man powerfully when he says, “The mere fact that it takes place at all, that God stands before man as his Lord, that man’s existence can become his confrontation with God’s command, always means that God does not will to be without us, but, no matter who and what we may be, to be with us, that He Himself is always ‘God with us,’ Emmanuel.” Before we can talk about parable we must first talk about God and God’s relationship to humanity — in, with, for, around, behind, amidst, and before Us. When we recognize that others are also trying to understand this narrative and that this entire thing (life) is a parable, we will take more seriously the life we are involved in with one another. We will take ourselves less seriously and be less anxious about knowing the right things (in our heads) and more concerned with how the Right Thing is trying to teach us how to simply be.
As we recognize God’s withness with us, we can understand that God is always pulling humanity toward greater expression and understanding of the bigger picture. We slice things into little parts and God desires that we circle back time and time again to see the whole which consumes the parts. This is where parable comes in. Metaphoric parable story telling is powerful because it uses the normal and abstract alike to reveal the hidden meaning that is seeping out of all of life. The mystery contained in the mundane. The wonder filled universe that seems to be trudging along. Bread, wine, flesh, water, fire, people, animals, nature. Coffee, music, art, laughter, crying, danger, running. All of life can teach us something of all of life. This brings us back to my original point of making ourselves the main character. We must not, in thinking parabolic-ly, make everything and everyone into a lesson that exists to teach us something. This will ruin parable living. Like a greedy, never-satisfied narcissist that, under false motivations, goes to a party only to appear loving and interested but really attending to critique, silently judge and validate themselves for their selfish enjoyment. Love knows the difference.
Instead, we can view things differently. Instead of walking into every situation asking how I can teach this person something or thinking how things will better my own personal advancements/how I will know more intellectually from this exercise… what if we saw every moment and every person as a teacher. Every opportunity to learn and for moments of mysterious heart expansion. Every positive or negative moment as a moment God desires to remind us of who God is and who we are. Most of these “teachers” will not be in a church or at a retreat. Instead they will exist in the plainly hidden moments of life. In laundry, shopping, cleaning, driving and working.
Everyone and every thing can teach you something about yourself and God. Everyone and every thing. God uses physical things and ordinary things to remind us of the transcendent in and around us. There is the thing beyond and behind and beneath the actual thing. This is where God wants to show us the metaphor, symbol and deeper reality that reveals the love, grace and goodness filled universe we’re swimming in.
I just ran a half marathon and it taught me so much about life in God. A half marathon can be a parable, a symbol, a metaphor. A symbol for understanding that discipline is important. That it’s not always how you start that is important but how you finish. That the real meaning of the race and life is embracing all parts– not just the quick and painless ones. That there are people in different stages and phases of your life, whether for 4 minutes or half the race that will help you keep pace and run alongside you. That you are more capable than you think you are. That encouragement from strangers is surprisingly empowering. That the wind at your back comes to carry you further right when you need it most. You can push beyond the first wave of fatigue and pain to realize you have been underestimating yourself. You are not trying to “beat” anyone else; you are inviting and giving permission for yourself to become the person that you know God is making you into by finishing the race.
A flower. A poem. A song. A conversation with a friend. You know these moments. They fill your life and are the “stuff of life”. There is a narrative that we’re in. It is deeply real and deeply symbolic. It is filled with parabolic overture and dripping with metaphorical power. Teaching moments and teachers are all around us. Our enemies, our friends, our work places, our transitions, our fears, our desires, our pets…
The kingdom of God is like _________.
a seed. a treasure. a person who sold everything to get it. a poor person’s life savings forfeited in faith. two sons returning, a parent forgiving. a wedding. a feast. healing. forgiveness. equal pay for all. a walk. marriage. non violence. a friend comforting you in loss. laughing until you can hardly breathe. driving nowhere and everywhere. getting your wife medicine at 1am. being let go from your job and letting go of your false identities. moving on. moving back.
Who is your teacher? What is your teacher?
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