[Serious] Literal and Not Literal

[Acrobat]

If it was about crossing the street, I probably would instruct her to look both ways before doing so.

If it's about love, or being Good, or living a meaningful life, than models seem best.

So, sometimes careful, exact instructions are needed? And even superior?

And also, does the importance of being a role model as a parent minimize the importance of direct instructions? Or vice versa? Certainly, an ideal parent would utilize both, correct? Granted, in some scenarios, a role model without direct instruction will still suffice. And less so with the opposite, i.e. direct advice without the role model, a la Do As I Say Not As I Do. But still, that doesn't rectify your blanket statement that showing is always better than telling.

Certainly, the superior parent would be a good role model who also gives clear, concise instructions on how to live.

That being said, who exactly is the role model we're supposed to be following in the Bible... Jesus?

It depends on the goal, surely some task like teaching my daughter math, or how to walk the street, how to warm a bottle, is better served by instructions, but somethings are not though, like being a good person, living a meaningful life, being kind, or loving others, being honest, etc...

If I think of a hierarchy of importance, for things I want of my daughter, nothing is closely superior to my desire for her to be a good person, kind hearted, loving, etc... There's no set of instructions I have for this, just like there's no set of instructions my mother gave me for this. But rather it's shown through the demonstration of life. And there is a sort of rare profound beautiful life, that not contingent on any professional success, income, suffering or fortune, A life nothing can take away. Maybe you know of no such life, but I do, and thats what I want her to know as well. 

And yes Christ possessed such a life, but so has  my mother, so do some of my friends etc... a reflection of that very life. No instructions I can convey would ever show this to my daughter, but if I live as a reflection of it, raise her in a community of people who do, she can see it and seek it too. Just like I've seen it, and seek it too. 


If there is a God, I wouldn't look for any financial advice, or politic advise, or history or science, or how to cross the street. I want to know, when looking out on the possible lives of men, is there a profound life worth pursuing? If so, show it to us. 

If there isn't, God can keep whatever he has to say, and let us all go on with our lives as if he doesn't exist in the first place.