Plato's conceptualization of "The Truth"

In Plato's conceptualization of 'The Truth,' a group of men have been shackled to a stone wall since infancy, unable to turn their heads due to the chains restricting them.  The only thing they can see is that which is in front of them.  Behind them is a stone walkway lighted by a fire, thereby projecting shadows of man and animal as they pass over the walkway.  'The Truth' is revealed when one of these men is released from his chains and lead into the light of day and the reality of everything which he has never seen before.  After his 'enlightenment,' if you will, he runs back to the entrance of the cave and yells to the men who he was shackled in the cave with since his birth, explaining all that he has seen and experienced.  He soon realizes that they cannot understand him.

Plato's conceptualization of 'The Truth' can be applied to aspects in my life in that, 'The Truth' is what is revealed after we have been released from the shackles of life that keep us from seeing all that which is reality.  These shackles could be taken in so many different ways, that, although I'm pretty sure it's impossible, I would run out of space on this post if I even attempted to tackle all of them.  One would be belief in God.  For example, say someone cannot come to grips with the concept of an all knowing, all seeing, all powerful, all EVERYTHING, being; he therefore chooses not to believe because he has no valid proof of there being a "God."  Now, lets say that this same man has a dream where he is sitting with God at a table, asking him how he knows he is real.  God shows him his family, friends, and the kingdom of heaven in this dream, and tells him that, as soon as he awakens, to open a bible and read the first verse on the page he opens the bible to, that the message will be clear.  The man awakens and opens a bible he never knew he had and the verse read: "'We are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life' he was lost and is found.'  and they began to celebrate"(Luke 15:23-24).  From that day on, the man believed and saw things he had never seen before, for the kingdom of heaven was opened to his view.

The bible verse above is real, and was the bible verse I found in my bag during my senior retreat.  The story, although slightly different, is basically what happened to me.  Although I did not dream that God talked to me face to face, the night before we were allowed to go through our bags, I dreamt I was on a boat, and found a note on the seat of the boat.  The note read, "Tomorrow, a quote will change you."  I found that bible verse in my bag the next day and had to sit down because of it.  That is how Plato's could be applied to my life.

Tschüß!