Tell Me Your Story

“So there I was.” A tradition among my fraternity was to have a part of our weekly chapter where we could tell stories from the past week. It was also a tradition to start each story with “So there I was…” Usually, this was the most looked-forward-to part. One of the reasons I love serving tables was that you could hear people’s stories, and share your own. Something about serving helped produce an atmosphere in which it was easy to relate and find those stories that would create an instant connection between server and customer, and lighten the mood as well. Stories are unique works that bring into the present past or fictional experiences, and relay messages and emotions through common connection. There’s a reason that story-tellers were so special to many ancient civilizations, and continue to be stars in today’s world (J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, C. S. Lewis, George R. R. Martin, George Lucas…). Even in a world where our mediums for expressing our stories are changing- oral tradition to books to movies to TV, for instance- the art of storytelling remains a cornerstone of human civilization, entertainment, and expressive reality.

Well that’s great Joseph, but so what? What does it mean, and why do I care? The truth is that there are so many reasons, that it’s hard to even brush the surface. Story telling provides us with a way to ponder the abstract through concrete actions and events. George Martin uses the fictional land of Westeros and Essos to delve into feminism, what it might mean to be a woman in a period of time where they were systematically disenfranchised, and how this might relate to modern society. He uses his books to convey messages about morality and reality- notice that the “most-good” character in the entire series, Ned Stark, a man bound by honor and admired by all, doesn’t even make it through the first book alive (and there are seven books!). Tolkien famously wrote an essay titled “On Fairy Stories,” in which he argues why they are so important. The depth to character development, morality, and spirituality present in his Lord of the Rings Trilogy is so vast, I won’t even try to scratch the surface. C. S. Lewis, a more forward theologian, explores what heaven might be like in his book The Great Divorce. More than that, storytelling connects us to other individuals, allowing us to join in their life, and live out their past experiences. Upon sharing our individual stories, others come to know us so much more. It is through stories that we find a way to convey who we are, what we think, and why we came to think that way. Stories help us come alive within someone else’s mind, and help someone to get to know someone else that they will never meet.

Stories also serve an important anthropologic function. Through them- myths, legends, folk tales, ect…- we learn what it means to be a member of a culture, how we are supposed to act within a given context, and what ideals and morals are to be important. Through stories, we empathize with the protagonist, embody ourselves within the literature, and feel and experience the events in a uniquely powerful way. The Greek hero Hercules served as the model to ancient Greece of what all men should attempt to become. Our stories of Fr. Mychal Judge (the first reported casualty in 9/11) gives us a sense of what our society deems as honorable and noble. The Japanese story of the 47 Ronin attempts to explain the height of virtue within the code of Bushido. The Iliad tells of Achilles one weakness- his heel. Do we learn from this the importance of the heel to the body? What acts as the “Achilles Heel” in our lives? Think of King Arthur- what lessons does the legend attempt to convey? Think of Star Wars, Battlestar Galatica, Doctor Who, Disney Movies, Superhero movies- what do our movies and stories convey about our society? What questions do they ask? What heroes do they give? There has been a push to have more female heroes that serve as good role models, and Disney has been criticized for its lack of them. Why do you think this is so? Because stories are powerful mediums of social and cultural morals, customs, and values.

The Hebrews knew this. To the Hebrew people, their God was one of history. Their faith actively told and passed down stories. They wrote down their myths. Their Psalms attempt to make their history come alive. Their God was one who was unfathomable, and so He revealed Himself to them through His concrete actions in time. Mac Powell has a song titled “When Love Sees You.” It was part of a project called “The Story,” in which various artists attempted to write songs (stories) from the perspective of Biblical characters. These songs might not fit my particular musical style, but I greatly appreciate them. “When Loves Sees You,” is in my opinion a fantastic song from the perspective of Jesus- Yahweh in human form. The Hebrew God of history and time, who works through the Hebrew stories, came into flesh and blood to live our stories with us. “Tell me your story,” Powell sings from Jesus’ perspective, “and I’ll show you what love sees when love sees you.”

So what is your story? It’s a powerful thing. One that will enlighten the world and show God’s grace. But more importantly, it will help us connect to each other, grow together, and love each other. So tell me your story.