Recently, there was a story in the news about a 10-year-old boy who claimed to have had a previous life. The evidence he provided in giving details of an obscure individual’s life were compelling. As might be expected, such a tale stirs up an old debate regarding reincarnation. The Bible makes no mention of such a possibility. Does this mean there is no such thing?

Believers tend to fall into two camps. One camp believes that every word in the Bible is to be taken literally. There is no room for symbolic interpretation. The other camp recognizes the possibility that many statements in the Bible are intended to evoke an image or understanding of a principle rather than to be taken literally.

Those of us who struggle to embrace Christianity fall into the second camp.

We need to recognize that the Bible is both a history and a guidebook. If we study a chemistry book, we don’t discount it because it doesn’t mention geography or artistry. The Bible too doesn’t get too much into physics or meteorology. That doesn’t mean those topics don’t exist – merely that they are not important to the discussion at hand.

The fact that the Bible doesn’t mention reincarnation doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t exist.

If we deny that possibility, are we putting limits on how God operates? Is it possible that there is a larger plan at work that we cannot comprehend?

Logic suggests that we may be denying ourselves an opportunity to get closer to God if we insist on applying our own interpretation to His powers when the Bible clearly states that all things are possible. If God should choose to allow a human spirit to return to an earthly experience, who are we to deny that possibility? Who are we to judge His purpose or His plan?

Accepting the possibility of reincarnation doesn’t mean rejecting the Christian message. To the contrary, it means accepting that through God, all things are indeed possible.