There was once a Heffalump standing in a clearing surrounded by four blind men. These men had heard many stories about the legendary Heffalump and were eager to discover for themselves the truth of the matter.
One man approached the Heffalump from the front, and placing his hands on its trunk he declared that: 'Heffalumps are like a thick, bendy hose.'
Another man felt one of the legs and said, 'No, a Heffalump is straight, round and tall like the trunk of a tree.'
Yet another found the Heffalump's ear and refuted the others saying, 'A Heffalump is thin and floppy."
The final blind man found the tail and declared emphatically: 'Heffalumps are like a fist full of wheat, a strong, bendy stalk leading into a tuft of grass.'
Each man had found part of the truth about the Heffalump, but without the whole truth the pictures they had formed of the Heffalump were incomplete at best, and completely misleading at worst.
The same truth?
This old story has gone around the circuit many times. It is often applied to religions, with the storyteller drawing out the conclusion that all religions are discovering the same truth but just different aspects of it.
If God were a Heffalump then different religions are the blind men holding onto the various body parts, refuting each other while declaring that their version is correct, when the reality is that they are all correct in their observations.
But to finish the story here is to miss out on the best part. For as the tale continues, there comes another man upon the scene. This man is not blind but can see clearly the full truth about the Heffalump.
He sees the blind men arguing with one another, each one adamant that they are correct, and takes pity on them. He leads them around the Heffalump, explaining how the different parts fit together and presents to them the full picture of a true Heffalump.
Not only does he guide them to the different parts he also informs them about the things they cannot tell—about the colour of the skin, the purpose of the ears and the value of the tusks.
This man is like what the Bible is to Christians, informing, teaching and explaining the things we cannot fully see or understand. God did not leave mankind to blindly fumble in the dark trying to discover the truth of who He is and what He desires.
2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
Christians are not another blind man ignorantly declaring what they cannot hope to understand—rather they are listening intently to the voice and leading of the one who can see all things and has chosen to make it plain to us.
Thomas Devenish lives in Hobart, Tasmania. He works as a motion designer and enjoys the diverse experiences life has to offer, from wake-boarding to curling up with a good book on a rainy day.
Thomas Devenish's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/thomas-devenish.html