You can’t frame a metaphor or hang it on the wall. You can’t carry it in your purse or wallet to pull out and show to your friends. It is not actually a picture, but we can call it a picture because it’s purpose, like a picture, is to represent something real. The phrase, “a metaphor is a picture,” is itself a metaphor.
Recognizing the representative component in a metaphor as merely representative in no way diminishes the represented object, nor does erasing the distinction between the two show reverence for the object. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Elevation of a symbol to the level of its object robs the object of its singularity. If that object is God, we risk committing idolatry.
If your catechism requires you to ignore or reject this principle, you might want to reconsider your denominational affiliation.
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