Pointing To The Moon

A couple of thoughts have been going round in my head all this week.  The first is that on a few occasions within the past few days, I have seen references to the story in Zen spirituality about a young man who was diligently studying the holy book and practices when a much older spiritual leader approached him and asked him what he was doing.  When the young man explained that he was studying hard in order to become a better disciple of his religion, the older, much wiser man told him the parable of the finger pointing to the moon.  He likened the moon to truth and the finger pointing the way to that truth.  He added that sadly what the young student was doing was that he was more intent on looking at the finger and missing the moon altogether.  We need to look past the pointer to see the truth.

The second incident was of my online friend Paul Leader who used to be a church leader but seven years ago opted out of organised religion.  There are occasions when people ask him back to speak to them in church buildings and he is always happy to accept.  The fact that he returns to the system that he left leaves some people a little confused.  Those who still engage in the system feel that maybe he hasn't totally left it all behind while some of those, like Paul who have emerged from oraganised church feel that he is somehow giving in and letting down the side of emergents.  It seems he can't win so he smiles and does what he feels is right for him.  


The issue as I see it is that we tend to look at the whole church thing as an end in itself when surely it is a way to the end, a pointer to the truth that is God.  Does it really matter how we reach God?  Surely the important thing is that we do connect with Father Creator.  I remember a number of years ago, when I helped in a charity shop connected to the church group where I used to go every Sunday, one of the leaders was asking how we managed to help those who came into the shop.  It was mentioned that for those who wanted, we would pray with them and try to give helpful advice and guidance.  The leader asked if we invited the customers to the church meeting on Sundays and I replied that 'No, we pray with them and leave it up to God to direct them if that is what they should be doing'.  By the reaction, I thought that maybe I had spoken in Chinese or had grown another head or something.  It's as though the only way to reach God seemed to be by attending a building on a Sunday morning; that helping people was a means of getting them into the system they call 'church' and not just because they need help.


There are many discussions, some more amicable than others, about the rights and wrongs of the practices of people of faith.  Those who are wrong are considered to be those who don't agree with our way of thinking.  We, of course are right.  But if we liken the whole issue to a pointing finger, it seems that too much time is spent on discussing what the hand is like - a young, active hand; an older, worn hand; maybe a hand of a different shade; maybe the finger is adorned with rings or painted nail.  There are many types of hand and the finger that is doing the pointing may be very good and interesting to study and look at but all the time we concentrate on the hand and finger that is pointing, we actually miss the point altogether. I'm sure that God uses many different ways to point to Him.  Why wouldn't He?  He created the whole universe so what makes us think that our way is the only way?  We have to stop looking at the finger.  That is not the truth, only the pointer.  Look past whichever finger you choose to use and look to the truth.