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The power of a parable
A book by Murray Dueck “If this Were a Dream, What Would It Mean?” introduced me to “God’s symbolic language school“. What followed was a revelation that parables in the Bible and dreams both use symbolic language.
The parables of Jesus (primarily found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) functioned as powerful symbolic learning tools. They were relatable everyday stories to illustrate profound spiritual truths, moral lessons, or concepts about God’s kingdom. They also acted as “word pictures” engaging the imagination and revealing the listener’s own spiritual condition. Dreams through the use of symbolic and metaphorical language also act as powerful tools designed to help us process emotions, often blending recent experiences with deeper hopes or anxieties – all relatable to our world.
Dreams and parables both convey a message
Rich in symbolism, parables have one central point, preventing over-interpretation while keeping us focused on the main lesson. A single dream consists of symbols, imagery, and metaphorical language. It also uses a form of story-telling compatible to the times we live in. Dreams can illustrate profound spiritual truths, moral lessons through word pictures. When you are that captive audience of one, God can speak to you in the most profound way!
The power of observation (signposts)
Parables were narrative devices using metaphor and symbolism to make spiritual wisdom tangible, memorable, and challenging. God can also use a dream to provide wisdom, direction, and insight for you much like a parable does. Look for signposts – the building blocks within a dream to help you decipher their meaning. If manual tools are critical elements for building structures, then think of “signposts” as tools for deciphering the structure of a dream. They act as clues to complicated issues prompting you to stop and think. Read more about building blocks (the necessary components in a dream) in the next paragraph.
Building blocks – the main components of dreams
What are the necessary “components” of a dream? Here are some examples: Buildings and rooms, cars & vehicles, objects and implements, animals (creatures of all kinds), people and body parts (such as hands, hair, teeth, even clothes). You definitely don’t want to miss the other components we refer to as “activity” components. Examples: Being chased, falling, flying, weather, earthquakes, and even tsunamis. Last but not least, those “static” symbols such as numbers and colors, water, trees, money, marriage, pregnancy, and wordplays……..and the list goes on! There are so many elements that process through a dream, so you need to think metaphorically. Pay close attention to symbols, patterns, recurring elements and emotions that reflect the individual’s waking life and psychological state as they evolve through the dream.
In conclusion: Dreams are natural to man and valuable survival tools in a world that constantly distances itself from God. The parables of Jesus were also survival tools for those who were willing to listen and apply them during a tumultuous period in 1st century Palestine.