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There is an ancient fable about a group of blind men who encounter an elephant. Unsure what creature they have just met, each man touches the elephant and proceeds to describe it very differently. The blind man who happens to touch the elephant’s side declares that the elephant is very smooth; the man who touches the elephant’s tusk says that the elephant is very sharp; and amazingly enough, the man who touches the tail describes the elephant as very thin. Each man thought he alone was right, and so naturally, an argument ensued about the nature of the elephant. However, the king, who had witnessed the entire scene, explained that, above all, the elephant is very big. They had each touched only one part, and that to really know what the elephant is, they would need to put their experiences together.

Photo courtesy of Temple Beth El, Northbrook, IL.

This fable is often used to describe the coexistence of many faiths, of which Christianity is but one. But we also can apply the fable to the mosaic of denominations that is the Christian church today. Who is the elephant we’re all trying to figure out? Well, we might all agree that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But in any one church, can we experience all there is to know about God? Does any one denomination own the complete and correct definition and experience of God? I don’t think so.

Some disagree with me. But because it is part of the condition of the church today, all of us Christians need to confront the reality of the varying perspectives of our denominations and find ways to deal with those differences. At the very least, thinking about it will help us to decide where to go to church!

On the first day of my Introduction to New Testament class this fall, each of us students took a turn to introduce ourselves. About half the class introduced themselves as life-long Methodists, which was not surprising at a Methodist seminary. But the other half came from a variety of backgrounds — largely, but not exclusively, Christian traditions. One woman described herself as “non-denominational.” When the professor pressed for more details, she said, “I’m just non-denominational. I don’t do denominations.”

Many people and some churches describe themselves as non-denominational. The concern is, of course, that the “non-denominational” group becomes in effect a denomination.

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Visit the study page for ideas for discussion and further reflection.

I was raised in the United Methodist Church, and my family is still Methodist. My first exposure to the Lutheran church was on Palm Sunday at the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University. My parents and I stood in the enormous sanctuary of the chapel absolutely dumbstruck by the bells, banners, and songs, and the sheer volume of the organ. We had no idea what was going on. We stumbled through the foreign script and did a lot of watching of others, who all appeared to know exactly what was happening, even before it happened.

When I was a student at Valparaiso, my friends provided invaluable guidance during worship. The liturgy felt sort of like a foreign language. Over time, the settings of the Lutheran Book of Worship became like a familiar tune in my ear. Something strange was happening. These peculiar people were shaping me, and I hardly knew it.

My friends also served as translators of the language and culture of Lutherans. The word “grace” was used in nearly every sentence but no one ever actually described or defined it. It was assumed that everyone knew just what it meant. What was all the conflict about women being pastors? I grew up with a female pastor. The thought that women could not or should not be pastors had never occurred to me.

In college, while I was serving with Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service and Lutheran World Relief, I felt that I was making a difference, that my faith had some significance. I was inspired by the bold and humble work of Lutheran pastors I met on reservations in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. I was challenged to shape my whole lifestyle according to my faith by such groups as the Urban Servant Corps and Lutheran Volunteer Corps. My world view grew exponentially as I listened to stories of Lutherans and heard Lutheran volunteers from around the world speak at the Global Mission Event.

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