Sometimes we speak using metaphors to describe a situation or a person. This can be both good and bad. Let’s take a look.

Metaphors aren’t meant to be taken literally. For example, “time is money” is a popular saying. But time isn’t really money. The purpose of this saying is to remind us how valuable our time is. You cannot get it back.

Another common way to describe a good person is to say they “have a heart of gold.” Now we know that the heart, physically, is live tissue, not gold. But the description fits the do-gooders in life.

Metaphors are useful when the context is clear. Some could say Jesus’s parables were metaphorical, but they were more than that. His parables were stories designed to teach which is different from a metaphor.

Speak clearly, using metaphorical language only when necessary. The world is already confused enough…