Two contemporary expressions capture the point behind the elephant parable cited in the Introduction. They are "Overview" and the "Big Picture".

The western mind is routinely trained to focus on and dissect, analyze and categorize the parts of every whole. Consequently, according to some estimates, our knowledge base doubles every four years. This is a mixed blessing. It is now virtually impossible for one individual to master any broad field of academic knowledge, as was once the case, much less to have an integrated view of all disciplines. This, incidentally, should deepen our appreciation of God's Omniscience, Total Truth Himself.

We specialize in areas of medicine, engineering, social work, math, etc. in order to thoroughly comprehend and properly perform. This dynamic is reflected in the way schools now typically relay content during the elementary grades and sometimes beyond. For example, rarely if ever does an elementary science textbook give an overview of the entire animal and/or plant kingdoms. Various disjointed parts of the whole are given out over those years until, hopefully, ninth grade biology class presents the overview of both kingdoms.

Unfortunately, without an organizing center, little information is retained by students, except the brightest, who tend to automatically accumulate and synthesize information into an Overview. It is usually the same sad story with history or geography or even the Bible. Thus, during the crucial formative years meant for an efficient learning process of absorbing, retaining and correlating content, fragmentation is modeled rather than integrated Big Picture thinking.  This is inevitable when God is not the center - the beginning and the end.  He even holds everything in between, together.

Personally, I learned to start to appreciate, look for, and expand into Big Picture thinking only after 24 years of "quality" private education as both a student and teacher. That almost painful mental revolution came as part of the training I received to become a certified Montessori teacher. Only there was I taught to start with the seeing the “whole elephant” then analyze while keeping the whole in mind then integrate again.  The whole is always greater than the parts so to think only in parts is to miss the “greater.”  In time, I learned to assemble parts into wholes and assembled those into a book called Pathways in 1992 at the request of homeschoolers interested in giving their kids a great headstart.

The situation in traditional education has gotten worse in recent years with learning models that reduce rather than expand the student's span of concentration and attention, and also by the trend to substitute foundational content with "learning experiences," endless curriculum experimentation, relativism, "new math," etc.  TV has contributed to this fracturing shows like Sesame Street that show quick, exciting snippets of content that lack Big Picture thinking.

Fragmented Christianity

All this is to say that, on the whole, we as American Christians are now typically unable to comprehend and therefore adequately defend our belief system against other worldviews with Big Picture thinking. We might be well versed in some of the parts but usually do not have a full appreciation of Total Truth - Divine Logic. We don't understand the "why" behind the assumptions and commands of our belief system, let alone those of other worldviews. It puts us in an undesirable and unnecessary defensive posture toward others who are often better grounded in their worldview than we are. How can we then respond instantly in season and out of season? How can we be effective ministers of reconciliation as God's ambassadors? How can we be salt and light if we have little grasp of the saltiness, the knowledge and conviction, of our true faith in Christ, Jesus?

God's Alternative

What I am pointing to is nothing less than seeing the same way God sees - the end from the beginning - as a Big Picture, the Total Truth.  Impossible? Then why does Paul insist that we, as new creation saints, "have the mind of Christ" if it is not at least available to us? And why does Paul also say that the mysteries that have been kept hidden are now disclosed to the saints? In truth, the living and active Word of God has enough revelation about who God is, who we are, how and what He has done and what He plans to do, to present His "mind" to those who seek Him.

The Holy Spirit, Our Enabler

I gratefully concede that the gift of faith that enables us to grasp these mysteries comes by the grace of God ministered to us by our guide and teacher, the Holy Spirit, God Himself. Jesus sent Him to personalize the Truth of the Word to us and He is the monumental advantage we have over every worldview that is contrary to the Gospel. Only He can reliably help us to rightly discern false spirits teaching false doctrines.

In Big Picture terms, both the so-called Culture War and the War on Terror are just two of the many battles in the spiritual war between the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness. When Adam rebelled against God, he relinquished God's delegated legal authority over the earth to Satan. Jesus came to rescue mankind from Satan's dominion and restore man to fellowship with God through faith in His finished work of redemption. Satan seeks to regain power over individuals through the deception of seemingly countless counterfeits against God's established Way, Jesus Christ. This on-line book will examine and compare the main representatives of these counterfeits and explain why only Christianity is the correct worldview, the Total Truth.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we operate from a systematic Overview of the genuine Gospel, both for our own sake and to facilitate others' rebirth into freedom. It is the plumb line to which all other worldviews are to be compared. And fittingly enough, the Total Truth begins with God's revelation of our origins in Genesis. With a teachable, child-like faith (God's gift to all who ask), we must begin there, too. What better place to discover our own origin and purpose and future - the Big Picture!

Total Truth = Big Picture Thinking
I welcome your questions and comments: lennyr@totaltruth.org