The Blind Men and the Elephant

  The Parable
 

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

  The Lesson
 

What is the truth from one's perspective is not truth from another's.  Even though we are  talking about the same thing, we all describe it differently. 

Faith is very much like this.  Some of us were raised Christian, others as Buddhist.   Throughout the thousands of years humans have coexisted together we have come up with a thousand differt explanations or names for what is but the same thing.  In this case the elephant is a metaphor for God and the blind Men are religions around the world. Maybe it's time to stop looking at the individual differences and let's just share in this one beautiful creation, instead of arguing about what is directly in front of us, why not allow the truth from all Nations come together as one.