In 1872, John Godfrey Saxe wrote a poem entitled The Blind Men and the Elephant in which six blind sages each describe their wildly divergent conclusions after encountering an elephant. The last two stanzas read:
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!
MORAL:
So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
Sadly, as the poet observes, Christians argue over God’s true nature in much the same way as these blind men about their elephant. We draw conclusions based on personal experience. But Jesus, who came to earth as God in human form, invites us into a broader perspective. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30). He wants us to learn about Him and learn from Him.
And so, I’m taking some license and adding two more blind men to the poem.
The first stands with his back to the elephant, arms crossed, claiming, “I don’t believe in any elephant! There IS no elephant.” The others’ contradictory arguments lead him to insist they must be wrong—that they’re all imagining something they simply wish were true. All the while, he hears the elephant’s tail swishing and trunk swaying. He feels the breeze from the elephant’s ears flapping. This man perceives the massiveness of the creature as its legs move. Something far greater than himself is near, but fear keeps him from acknowledging this fact. He plugs his ears, ignores his senses, and shuts down his heart.
Finally, the last blind man realizes these others have missed the point. All the aspects the other blind men perceive about the elephant are true, but in isolation don’t come close to describing the wondrous whole. While others spend their time in argument or denial on the ground, this last blind man has vision. With the help of friends, he climbs a ladder, sits on the elephant’s back and whispers, “I believe in you. I trust you. Take me on an adventure!”
Jesus is the elephant in the room. Like the various attributes of the elephant, the many biblical names of God describe His specific qualities. He is our Provider (Genesis 22:14), our Healer (Exodus 15:26), our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1), as well as the supreme and mighty One (Genesis 1:1). Jesus is a servant king, a friend of sinners, and He intercedes on our behalf. He existed before creation (John 1:1-4). He’s our Wonderful Counselor and the Prince of Peace ( Isaiah 9:6). Yet He is meek—choosing to be humble—though powerful beyond our comprehension!
We should ask ourselves, where are we in relation to Jesus? Do we acknowledge the elephant in the room? Are we obsessed with arguing over the little we know about Him, or do we sit at His feet to know Him more? Are we willing to trust Him by faith with our very lives and to embrace the adventure He offers?
