A huge problem with attempting to read the Bible literally is that there is so much damn metaphor.
Metaphors by design are problematic. Metaphors are by design unstable, wobbly words that can be interpreted (or, I suppose, misinterpreted) any number of ways. In an attempt to communicate something that cannot, or is best not, described directly or in precise terms, they can be as confusing as they are helpful.
There is hardly a page of the Bible that does not contain metaphor. Which, I can’t help but believe, is by necessity when talking about the Divine.
All spiritual language is by necessity metaphor and symbol… As Desmond Tutu told me on a recent trip to Cape Town, “We are only the light bulbs, Richard, and our job is to remain screwed in!”
Richard Rohr, Falling Upward
Metaphors invite us into the formation of meaning. They don’t tell us exactly what to think, but ask us to do a little bit of the heavy lifting ourselves. And our active involvement is an essential ingredient to the spiritual journey.
If you’re uncomfortable with metaphors, then I wouldn’t really recommend that you read the Bible. Perhaps a math or science textbook would be more up your alley. But even then, I suspect that you’ll come across the occasional metaphor that explains fractions by talking about pies, or that describes the nature of how a bird’s feathers appear to a potential mate.
