Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant

Four blind men come across an elephant. They decide to feel the elephant to determine what sort of creature it is. One blind man feels the back leg of the elephant. He says, "An elephant is like a tree." The second blind man feels the trunk. He says, "An elephant is like a snake." The third blind man feels the tail. He says, "An elephant is like a rope." The fourth blind man is afraid. He doesn't feel the elephant at all.

The three blind men argue a long time about what an elephant is and based on their own personal experience each is right. Christians believe that knowing God is like this. Each person experiences God in a somewhat different way. This is one source of disagreement among Christians.

If the fourth blind man who has no real experience with the elephant, joins the argument, lying and saying that when he felt the elephant it was a large furry beast with sharp fangs and a drooling mouth, the issue will be greatly confused. How will the blind men know what to believe and what not to believe. The same situation occurs in Christianity. From time to time people come along telling us things about God that are not true. For a time (maybe decades or even centuries) Christians are confused, not knowing what to believe. This is another source of disagreement among Christians.

If the blind men continue to interact with the elephant, to experience it in new ways, and to share their experiences, it will not be long until they figure out that fur, fangs, and a drooling mouth don't fit with the other things they have learned about elephants. The blind man who has been afraid to touch the elephant will be found out. We believe that a similar process works with our attempts to know what God is like. Over the centuries, honest and intelligent men; great thinkers and scholars; and ordinary, genuine people have thousands of daily experiences with God. They write books, teach classes, and meet to share their experiences. Gradually over time, misconceptions will be corrected and a better understanding of God will emerge.

It is through this gradual, developmental process that we come to know God.

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For a nice poem based on an ancient version of the story see A Hindu fable by John Godfrey Saxe. An ancient version of the story can be found at http://world.std.com/~metta/canon/khuddaka/udana/ud6.html.

Send comments to:

Steve Falkenberg

Steve.Falkenberg@eku.edu