Stories matter and are important in our lives and culture, because they make a connection. Jesus was a master story teller. His stories provided recognition and acknowledgement, compassion, forgiveness, healing and direction, and so enable us to reclaim who we are as daughters and sons of the Creator and so become the persons we are called to be.
My favourite story of all time is in Chapter 24 of St. Luke’s Gospel. A simple question asked by Jesus of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus gifts us with a hauntingly beautiful story – according to Dante the most beautiful story in world literature.
“What is happening as you walk along?” Jesus asks. In response the two feel safe to tell their story of loss and disappointment. I often imagine myself walking along the road with someone when I can be honest about my lost hopes, the hopes that once defined me, and then be touched again by the one I spoke to.
You know the story – it’s a long one. Why not reread it in coming days?
Isn’t it true that stories are told wherever there are people? They are part and parcel of who we are. Through stories heard, told and retold, we forge an identity that tells us who we are and from where we have come. Stories connect us to all of humanity, as we recognise the similarities in the stories that cross cultures, ethnic groups and generations. Can you recall significant stories that shaped who you are, either from your own culture or from across the world?
B. O’ S