Diabolic, Symbolic and Parabolic (revisited)

Back in October 30th, 2009 I shared a bit about Diabolic and Symbolic.

I am not sure where I read this but the author shared a bit about the word "parable". Here is a link to a basic etymology of the word parable.

As you can see from this etymology, parable literally means "a throwing beside," (from para- "alongside" + bole)

So we have "symbol" meaning 'that which is thrown together' and "diabolical' meaning 'that which is thrown across/through' and "parable" meaning 'that which is thrown alongside'.

What I find interesting here is that Jesus taught primarily through parables. It is my understanding that theology that Jesus was also one who lived a deeply symbolic life (throwing things together such as bread/body and wine/blood). As one who lived symbolically he taught in a way that was parabolic, that is he would throw things along side one another (such as our enemy is also our neighbor whom we are called to love not hate).

It is remarkable to me, and I am not really sure why to be honest, that there seems to be a connection here between the symbolic, diabolic and parabolic.

Perhaps the way to live a symbolic life, a life that brings things together, is first being willing to throw things along side one another and live parabolically.

But then again, I suppose one could throw things along side one another and still end up living a diabolic life, or a life that throws things apart. Perhaps parables are neither 'good' or 'bad' but a way in which leads us to a certain life. I don't know, as you can see I am not really formed on these thoughts just yet.

So I ask you, what do you think about these connections? Do you see any connection between symbolic, diabolic and parabolic? Does this connect with Jesus as you see it? What about our individual lives? What about life within a community?

Call of wisdom and Roosevelt

In Proverbs 9:1-6, Sophia calls to the passer-byers "You that are simple, turn in here!" At this point she invites these simple people into her house so that she might impart the wisdom of God to them.

When this text was read on Sunday for some reason I could not get that quote from Eleanor Roosevelt "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."

All I could picture was Sophia calling out to all of us in America who talk more about American Idol than American policy, "You that are simple, turn in here! Turn in here and I can help you move your simple mind, clamoring about people and events, to a great mind."

Perhaps this is why Jesus spent so much time in parable teaching. It allows us simple minded people to hear about people and events, but at the same time challenges us to talk about the ideas behind these people and events?

Perhaps Jesus spoke in parables, not to be cryptic, but to call us to expand our mind... to become Great.

Carpentry makes for lousy parables

Talking with the ministers the other day about theology and whatnot and in the course of the conversation we began to talk about the Church's mission to help people gain meaning for their lives. In that pursuit, the Church must be able to help people discover language which helps articulate a meaning for them to embody. We commented how we each felt about how the Church is doing (not too well at the moment) and then discussed the influence of scientific atheism in the culture.

In the course of the conversation something struck me about Jesus and his ability to speak to the people he was with. He never once used a parable dealing with carpentry.

Parables of coins, strangers, sheep, sons, grain, goats... sure. Parables of hammers, tables, crafting, designing... no.

The only one I could connect to carpentry was the saying where we should not talk about the splinter in our neighbors eye with a plank of wood in our own. But that is a weak connection at best.

By all accounts Jesus was a carpenter. In fact the "Passion of the Christ" has Jesus making the first table people sit down in chairs at to eat a meal. But he hung out with fishermen, farmers, and the socially estranged of society. Thus his parables and language reflect this.

Perhaps the Church could take a lesson from this and stop trying to control a conversation and force it to always be about God. Not everyone is comfortable or even knows theology or God-talk. But everyone has an area or a world which they know and can relate with and the Church could possibly connect with more people if we were only willing to stop talking about God with our own insider language and talk about God with the language of the people we are in relationship with.

Either that or Carpentry makes for lousy parables.