Storytelling

With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
Mark 4:33-34, The Message

I absolutely love this line.

I love language, and the way words can be strung together to create a symphony of their own. I love thinking of Jesus doing this, weaving stories to meet people where they were, always pulling out a tale. I love thinking that when you didn't get it, he went over it again and again, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.

It is the same reason we are drawn to a well written and well delivered sermon. It is also the same reason we can sit quietly in a dark theater, or snuggle in with a book in bed. Seeing our story through the eyes of someone else allows us to sift out safe meaning. It allows us to struggle with our own grief. It can offer us escapism. It can offer us shelter. Other stories sit to the side where they are more able to be viewed, or touched. They are our stories without being quite the same as our stories. They give us perspective.

It seems from all accounts that Jesus was full of stories. It is easy for me to imagine him by the fire, in the kitchen, at the table, seated on the ground - always spinning stories.

Some faith groups honor the idea of testimony. Right now, I am part of a group that has less comfort with the need to share personal stories of faith - and they have good and valid reasons for such. But I have also been among those at other times that loved nothing better than hearing all the juicy details of a spiritual journey. There are certainly pros and cons to both sides of the argument, but this isn't about that. This is about an invitation to story. Spiritual story.

When was the last time you told stories? Heard a good story? Cared about a story? A friend of mine recently posted his status on Facebook, saying, "More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me." This made me laugh out loud, because I think it is the truth for most of us. As my dad would say, "we're all too busy thinking about what we are going to say next" rather than listening to someone else.

Our minds are full of so many bits of info that it is hard to make time for the richness of a story. Mark 4:18-19 puts it another way: "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard and nothing comes of it."

I don’t know about you, but I feel "weedy" myself sometimes. I feel like I "get" the messages of Jesus but my mind is filled with other things. And, I know this - what is full in my mind will bleed over into my heart, just to make room for it. Pretty soon, I'm stressed, and available for stories that are only less than an inch thick.

When was the last time you told stories? Heard a good story? Cared about a story? When was the last time you heard one word your kids said? The last really moving book you read? The last movie that left you chewing on it for a few days? When was the last time something in the Bible held meaning for you? When was the last time you felt your tangles were sorted out and your knots were untied?

Our lives are full of parables. They don't just line up at church. Everything is spiritual when we just have time for a breath of it. Mark 4:20 continues, "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."

Wow.

It is our job to 1) LISTEN to stories. 2) Embrace the ones that strike something within us. 3) Sow for a harvest. Beyond our wildest dreams.

I'm still on my personal journey of getting dirty with Jesus - remember my Apple from a few weeks back? It isn't easy. Now that I am watching I can't believe how many times my automatic response to needs are NO. Sometimes it is too late to go back and hear that particular story. From requests for money in the parking lot of Target to an onslaught of needs via email to those asking for time. I have come to realize that if I slow down, I might hear more of a story to help point me toward a good decision. If I ask for more information I might move toward a better path. If I stop what I am doing long enough to hear someone else, I might be able to plant a small seed, offer a word of encouragement, give money to a good cause, make a difference with my time.

Jesus preferred to teach with parables - "He was never without a story." What stories require our attention today? What tale might we need or want to share? How might we help untie the knots?

Slow down and listen. Unravel a story. Ask some questions. Sit a spell. There is a harvest beyond your wildest dreams.

Amen.

In Wisdom,
Brandi Calhoun Diamond