In my spare time, I really enjoy studying up on religions. Not just my own, but I also like to study what others believe. I remember coming to church and hearing about what many people of this earth truly believe, and I also remember how many people outside of our church hated it. This always sparked my curiousity.
First of all, as a Christian, we believe that Christ died innocently to save us, and we want to spread that truth throughout the world. If we could ever complete this quest, we would undoubtedly encounter people of other religions.
I’ve heard many people talk of spiritual warfare: the constant battle between truth and deception in the midst of the human soul. Everyday, we participate in this war by the choices we make. My point is; why go into war unarmed? If we are truly to convince others of our truth, then we must try to imagine what state of mind they might be in already. By knowing the beliefs of others, we gain a foothold into their motives and desires. Once we know this, we are able to show them how Christ can meet the needs that their previous idols can’t provide.
More importantly, though, is the very concept of truth itself. There is an old Indian legend about six blind men and an elephant. The first blind man ran into the side of the elephant, exclaiming, “There is a wall in my way!”. The second man, reaching out and feeling the elephant’s tusk, says, “It is not a wall, but a sharp spear!”. The third, out to prove both wrong, feels the trunk and shouts in horror, “It is not a spear nor a wall! It is a snake!” Then the fourth walks up to the mysterious object and wraps his arm around it’s mighty knee. “Why, you’re all wrong! It is a tree!” Said he. Then the sixth man feels the elephant’s ear confidently, exclaiming, “Even the blindest man can see that this is a fan!” Finally, the sixth man comes to the elephant, and grasps it’s tail. “You all are so foolish! This, of course, is a rope!”
The tale, then, ends like this:
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!
This, in essence, is very true of most arguments, especially in the world of religion. When we only have our own knowledge of the big picture, or the broad concepts of the people of our world, we will always have conflict. The solution is to learn. Learn without compromising your beliefs, because someone, sometime, is bound to say, “Why this is an elephant!” Once someone is bold enough to declare their real truth, while keeping in mind the beliefs of others, the world will stop in silence and ponder: “Maybe it really is an elephant…”
