The more common something is, the more it is taken for granted, and the more it goes unnoticed. This is the idea behind the witness protection program. People are hidden in plain sight by making them just like everyone else in the area where they are relocated.

Commonality is also a major building block of the Bible. An endless provision of truth from God is hidden in the stories of common people as they face situations that have been common to mankind from the beginning.

Hidden in the million or so words of the Bible are directions to a treasure trove of jewels, precious stones, gold and silver. Nuggets of truth. Each one a jewel of great worth. The stories of the family of Israel include their journeys, and the situations they encounter, along with their successes and failures. There are stories of wars depicting Israel’s victories and defeats. It’s a 4,000 year history. Concealed in the stories is an avalanche of directions to the greatest treasures you could ever hope to find. Within the accounts of common, ordinary people are to be found such uncommon valuables as hope and joy, mercy and forgiveness, courage and strength, and freedom from bondage. There are also depictions of sin and evil of every kind, as well as recipes for staying out of their snare.

The secrets of the universe are hidden in the Bible’s pages, but even school children can understand it. At one and the same time it is general enough to appeal to every person in every age, yet specific enough that individuals believe it was written just for them. All of this is accomplished through the principle of commonality.

Duality, with its multitude of counterparts, is so common it is barely recognizable. Yet, the idea of duality lends a great deal to Biblical understanding concepts. For instance, duality opens our understanding to parables, and why they are of such great importance to understanding the Bible. Parables have two parts, one physical, the other spiritual. The physical part is the simple story we experience with our eyes or ears. The spiritual part of a parable is the moral lesson understood from the story. Not only are parables important because of duality, but they are so common in the Bible they mostly go unnoticed.