THE ELEPHANT
And the 6 (billion) blind men
A treatise based on an old poem by
John Godfrey Saxe (1816 - 1887)
It was six men of Indostan,
to learning much inclined,
who went to see the elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
that each by observation,
might satisfy his mind.
The first approached the elephant,
and, happening to fall,
against his broad and sturdy side,
at once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the elephant,
is nothing but a wall!"
The second feeling of the tusk,
cried: "Ho! what have we here,
so very round and smooth and
sharp? To me tis mighty clear,
this wonder of an elephant,
is very like a spear!"
The third approached the animal,
and, happening to take,
the squirming trunk within his hands,
"I see," quoth he, the elephant
is very like a snake!"
The fourth reached out his eager hand,
and felt about the knee:
"What most this wondrous beast is like,
is mighty plain," quoth he;
"Tis clear enough the elephant
is very like a tree."
The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said; "E'en the blindest man
can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant,
is very like a fan!"
The sixth no sooner had begun,
about the beast to grope,
than, seizing on the swinging tail,
that fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the elephant is
very like a rope!"
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!
Parts is parts…
…but elephants aren’t parts!
They are a living, breathing,
trumpeting, lumbering, and very
intelligent, multi-functional
biological system.
We might say that each part
is a mere sample of the intricate
multi-functionality of the
extremely profound &
complicated Elephant!
Food for thought…
Each of the proverbial six blind men
touched only one small part of the
elephant & reported his conclusion about
the beast to others. All was confusion
and contradiction. Little was gained.
Had the blind men collaborated and
integrated their understanding, they
would have been able to characterize
the great animal in more useful ways.
None of the men were able to see the
elephant but by listening to each
other's stories, they came to
understand that the elephant was
much larger and more diverse than
the small part each had experienced.
So it is with us and God. We are
“blind” as He’s invisible to us!
But as we hear the stories of God,
we learn that what we understood
before… was only a very small part
of the total experience.
He is a
SPIRIT!
He is
very He is the
Big!
He is Eternal
Father of
LOVE! all
spirits!
He is the
Creator!
He is
LIGHT!
And thus He is…
The invisible, immensely
great, & extremely
intelligent, Eternal Spirit of
Love and Light, the One and
Only, who created us all, &
is the Father
of all Spirits!
But He’s not just that…
He is much more than that!
To really experience Him,
we can only receive sight of
Him when we finally join
Him in glory!
Then we shall know, even
as also we are known!
Why not ask the Elephant Himself…?
Why not get to know Him?
Do you think for a moment
that he doesn’t want you to
feel and get to know Him?
Of course He does!
When his spirit creations
search for Him, ask about
Him! Seek Him! Invite Him
into their lives! And
especially into their hearts!
That to Him is a thrilling
experience!
And He will reward your
interest in Him!
He can tell you all about
Himself, if you’ll just get
quiet and listen to His still
small voice in your heart!
St. Paul did, and this is
What he received
from Him…
The Love Chapter! (1 Corinthians 13)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and
have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, and have not
charity, it profits me nothing.
4 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not;
charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is
not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that
which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood
as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a
man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face
to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as
also I am known.
13 And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but
the greatest of these is charity.
A small part of the Big Experience?
He IS love! And He loves you!
Get to know Him today!
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