Friday, June 03, 2011

John 4:15. Analytical geometry of Jesus' sayings

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Once again she is interpreting Jesus literally and failing to see the metaphorical allusion. Bible believing Christians are apt to fall into the same error. The book of Revelations is easy to misinterpret in this way. Jesus warns us that his teachings were elliptical and parabolic (strange that these are two of the standard shapes of analytical geometry - the other is hyperbolic and Jesus used this as well).

But just to stay on the literal for a moment. There are still many who have to journey to fetch their daily water. With so many dying of water-borne diseases it is an international disgrace that the international community has not provided fresh water and separate sewerage for the whole population of the world. And it is a disgrace that various national governments have seen luxury palaces, AK47s tanks and fighter aircraft as a greater priority than fresh water. Pakistan has atom bombs and India a space program. There is no defence against that accusation when it comes to the judgement bar.

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