What's the Lowest Level of Meaning?

Whether it's a scripture story or symbolism we encounter elsewhere, it can sometimes be difficult to separate the literal from the metaphorical at church, especially if our personal interpretation seems at odds with that of many other members. But what if we just can't 'believe' something the way it's being presented on the surface? Can we become comfortable setting aside narratives that no longer serve us to approach texts, language or ideas we can't make sense of literally in ways that help us draw personal meaning from them?