The Parable of the Forum in the Fog

This parable came to mind after reading many books and several blogs.

At the top of a high weather scrubbed rock ridge is an old gathering place designed in the Greek style. The land around the forum falls away in vertical cliffs and fractured ravines. On a beautiful day, many people ascend the rocky path from the surrounding lowlands. They gather at the forum to talk, debate, and deliberate. The day is full of bright sun; the discussion is lively and compelling.

Late in the day, as is common to the climate, banks of cloud and mist accumulate on the ridges and mountains. The forum is quickly engulfed in a deepening darkness. The discussion breaks up and those that have gathered look about to determine the best way to return to the safety of home. They lose sight of the landscape and each other in the mist. The way back down the ridge around the cliffs and ravines has become treacherous.

Voices begin to call out: “Which way shall we go?” “Which is the right way?” Others call: “Follow me, I know the way.” Soon the voices overlap and become confused. “This is the right way.” “No! Here!” The voices compete for hearers and loudly assert their efficacy.

In response to a call to follow, a voice rings out: “Those voices are wrong. Do not heed them. They will misguide you. They can’t see the correct path clearly as a result of their cultural and social biases.” Another offers, “No this way. Listen to the peaceful reassurance in your hearts confirming my direction.” But another shouts, “Do not listen! They are appealing to the irrational. They ask you to rely on the uncertain guide of emotion rather than the facts which we can see clearly in this fog.”

Others call in simple, unaffected language, “Come this way.” But others respond, “Not that way. They lack the refined outlook gained through extensive study. They will lead you astray. They are out of touch with the realities of this mist and the lay of the land. Follow me, and I will lead you right.”

One voice gathers a huddled following and confidently announces: “I appreciate the subtle nuances of the treacherous landscape and can avoid any pitfalls.” But the group that follows where the voice directs soon stumbles off a ledge hidden in the mist. Hearing their cries as they fall and are broken on the rocks below, the voice explains: “I now perceive that my impeccably reasoned conclusions on the proper direction were insufficient due to some misinformation on this area and the density of the fog. But as a mark of my intellectual integrity, I am willing to correct my views and now state that this is not a proper direction to take.” And the speaker turns away from the ledge and those who have fallen.

Which is the right voice? To whom should those who are lost listen to among the confusion of voices? Are they all misguided?

A peaceful assurance comes that we are not left alone to try and take a chance on the right voice. We have a means to discern the one that will lead us on the safe course. There is One whose voice can safely direct those that are lost in the mists and darkness to safety. One who absolutely knows the landscape and whose understanding pierces the obscuring fog. Through the study of scripture, sincere prayer, humility, and the resulting experiences with the spirit, the right voice is discerned and recognized as the right voice. The voice of the Lord and his servants acting under his direction will be familiar and carry the authenticating witness of the spirit to those who have cultivated the understanding and spiritual sensitivity to hear. Thus, when the Lord or one of his servants calls from out of the mist, the call is accompanied by the confirming and authenticating spirit of truth that any who are attuned recognize: “Follow me, this is the right way.”