Another commentary about taking things literally

My kids and I were listening to the Proclaimer's "I'm Gonna Be" (500 miles) - a really, fun, good dancing, up-beat song today. And Aislynn and Jonah started discussing the song, "Well, he must live really far away from the person he loves," Jonah says. And Aislynn adds, "well, why would he need to walk all that way. Can't he drive a car or ride a bike?" I found myself trying to explain that he is not needing to walk all that way and that he doesn't live that far away, that he is just saying that he loves the other so much that he would be willing to walk all that way for them. "Well, then, he must live far away!" Jonah reiterated. And Aislynn added, "Wow, that must be so sad to have to walk all that way."

I try again, "you know, it's like when someone says they would walk across the desert to be with the person they love. They don't actually need to do that and they don't actually live near a desert, they are just saying they would be willing to do a whole lot for the person they love."

"Well, why would they say that, if they don't live near a desert?"

I found the whole conversation hilarious and I could hardly keep a straight face, but it also caused me to think about all the people who are talking about the Bible in the same way. They discuss the anatomy of the "fish that swallowed Jonah" or they try to figure out when exactly Noah's flood happened. And once again, they miss the depth and complexity - they miss the very message of these stories as they are distracted by the details of the story itself and the historical/scientific validity of the events described.

Sigh. It will be a long journey across the desert of 500 miles for some of these folks to find truth, to find God, to find love. But I have no doubt God will still cross it. ;-).