Life Interpreted? - Part 2

Back to Groucho.

I wish people could take words at face value. Even when symbolism is involved, you have to admire people who say, "Are you saying I have to go back into my mother's womb and be born a second time?" Talk about the ultimate stupid question. But Nicodemus asked it. And he got an answer. His question showed that he didn't plan on walking away and trying to interpret what the meaning behind Jesus' words were. He wasn't willing to bet his life on what he thought Jesus meant. He asked the dumb question for clarity.

When Jesus said, "eat my flesh and drink my blood", he lost most of his disciples... and they never really questioned or pressed him for clarity. The ones that stayed and asked the possibly dumb questions got to sit at the table for the first communion. Those who didn't, walked away and chose to live life interpreted instead of clarified.

So I have decided to ask dumb questions and say obvious things. "Did you mean...?" "Why did you..." "Is it that you don't like me?" And because I have done that, I have "communion" with some people who I originally thought didn't like me.

People say I am sometimes tactfully tactless (as one friend put it). That's ok. If we are going to break bread together, live life together, I will ask you dumb questions and I expect dumb questions from you. And though they may frustrate me or my friends and family like Nicodemus and Jesus, we will have answers. We will either be honest or lie, but we will have answers, not assumptions from the voices of our past.

Let others gather secretly like Pharisees to discuss what was "meant by that". We won't have to live our lives by braille, feeling around for nuances and intentions. I refuse to live life by interpretation.