The Importance of Symbols-- Their Use and Misuse.


    "A long, long time ago, a man called Moses made an announcement to the members of his nation. Moses said, 'Jehovah has said that henceforth we are to worship Him without the use of hand made idol images. From now on, nothing in between--just you and God.'

    "I can almost hear the reaction of the children of Israel: 'This new law will never work! Any fool knows you need an idol-image to make contact with Jehovah. One needs the other, and we need both. Moses! we warn you, a lot of innocent people are going to be led astray if you do away with these beautiful images. God uses such means." (from E. Jabay, "The Kingdom of Self")

    In the Urantia Book we can read Jesus words, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Symbolism has been used extensively in the Urantia movement as a means to power. But symbols could have no power over us if we listened to Moses' injunction. It is not yet out of date.

   We humans have two extreme "ways" to proclaim or demonstrate our faith and allegiance to whatever it is we might value. One "way" is that, having selected the cause of the moment for which we are prepared to offer this allegiance, we henceforth devote a major part of our energies in doing battle for that cause.

   An automatic result is that we find ourselves against all those whose opinion, relative to "the cause," differs from our own.

   In our genetic background we have an animal "tooth and claw" heritage, only barely below a superficial surface barrier erected upon the scaffolding of "civilized" customs.

   This barrier is readily broken, and in fact most "causes" tend to enlist the the skills of those who have developed expertise in stirring our animal instincts in order to break down the barriers.

   Human song, poetry, literature, rhetoric, etc., is littered with symbolism and exhortations that operate to arouse us to fight, even die, for the coming battles. We have a thousand and one battle hymns to unify us under God as we join battle with the enemy. And we have another thousand and one flags and symbols to identify us, friend from enemy, and to unify us in proclaiming our cause.

   But the net result is always the same. Nobody really wins. Over time, both sides lose.

   
There is another way--the one at the other extremity. It is the way of Jesus. Jesus never went into battle for a cause. He was never personally against anyone. He did not fight for the rights of the slaves, the oppressed, a race or a nation, nor the down-trodden or the abused.

   
Jesus simply sought to do God's will through service. He served and loved both friend and enemy.   

Home Page    Previous Page    Next Page