The Symbolic

There's something in the quickening of spring-time in the degree to which synchronicities overtake my life every year, this time of year. The echoes, not just due to my very loud sneezes in the pollen-ridden geographical basin of Sydney, of a life changed in the clothing, in the daylight available, in the itchiness of my skin and the scents in the air, and yet the same, still me, still here.

My gorgeous Da has given me a lovely little book entitled 'Irreligion - A Mathematician Explains Why The Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up'. It makes me giggle to think that atheists seem to hold God so very heavily, as such a burden, that there needs to be a whole book devoted to the ever-so-obvious fact that God Does Not Exist (anyone ever heard of a lesser known field called anthropology?). I haven't read it yet, although it's looking a lot more logical and a lot less mathematical as far as 'proofs' go. Still, either way, the key to understanding the explanation for what can't be understood, falls back, has to fall back onto symbolism.

So, arising out of a Jay Kinney article about Gnosticism, and the documentation for a survey I've completed for Richard Harmer, and the very novel that I'm reading at the moment comes the reminder about symbolism being the key, the essence, of what we undertake when we undertake spiritual practice.

Therefore, here are the four Bible quotes oft heard, in different ways, over my past four days. I'm hoping any who stumble across my blog will be able to overlook the implied exclusivity in the quotes and be able to sense the call to move from the literal, and see the symbol.

Matthew 13:11-13 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Luke 8:9-10 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Mark 4:11-12 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all
these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

John 16:12-14 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.