METAPHORS OF SPIRITUALITY

TROPES — NON-LITERAL FIGURES OF SPEECH

A metaphor is used to provoke understanding, often through stimulating an emotion. Example: upon leaving an exam in physics I was likely to say, “That damn test was murder”. Doing so I did not think of using a metaphor, I just made a reference to make a point.

A brief metaphor can replace a paragraph of literal description.

Metaphors are not literal comparisons, yet they convey helpful information. They symbolize or stand for more than they say.

Material manifestations are real. Spiritual reality is more real. Matter is a temporary expression. Spirit is eternal. I’ll not here attempt to explain how I know this. It would take too long, unless I find helpful metaphors.

I sometimes think of every aspect of my life as being a metaphor symbolizing something far beyond the metaphorical experience I live. A metaphor can be used as a symbol even though it carries no assigned symbolic meaning.

Regarding spiritual nature we often have difficulty explaining in plain words what we mean. We use metaphors to clarify meaning.

Metaphors in spiritual context reach beyond logic, pointing to the profundity of spiritual experience demonstrating that life reaches far beyond our material daily experience.

Some examples: — life is a river, rolling toward the infinite, with twists and turns, depths and shallows, smooth flowing and rapids over rocks.