Tell Me The Story
One of the fondest memories I have as a mom is curling up with my daughter in the evening before bed and reading to her. I was quickly reminded of this practice/ritual as I attempted to organize our attic and was pleasantly surprised to find an endless array of books that spanned at least the first decade or so of my daughter’s life. These books were so familiar to me, it only took seconds to recall the characters and the life lessons that lie within their pages. To my surprise, I could recall her favorite books – the one’s we read over and over again – as well as the reasons she liked them so much. It also brought to mind all the conversations that the stories prompted and the faith sharing that flowed so naturally from them.
For most parents, this is one of the first things we ever do with our children - introduce them to the beauty of a story shared. As an educator, I can tell you all the great benefits that come from reading to children: an increased vocabulary, enhanced concentration, better communication skills and planting the seeds of desire for the child to become a reader as well. These are all wonderful educational outcomes; but as a religious educator, I believe the greatest benefit that is derived from the art of storytelling is that stories serve as a collective wellspring of meaning as we journey in life. They accompany us and often provide the very spiritual nourishment for our souls that we long for. Stories have the ability to touch the most hidden parts of our being, and unite us with all of humanity and our God. I think this is why, no matter what stage of life we find ourselves, we are still drawn in by them. Ultimately, as people of faith, it becomes very clear that we have the privilege of weaving the Christian story with all the stories told. In the sharing we invite the power of the spirit who brings illumination to the hearer of the truths being shared.
In the telling of a story we lay the foundation for children in later life to reflect upon and share their own story. Being drawn into a story enables us to go out beyond ourselves we enter into another’s story and are sometimes called to recognize their joy, pain, virtue or vice. In all of this we are aided in developing our depth of understanding for other individuals and stories that are not our own. This encounter with another’s story also allows us to sometimes find a part of our self or our experience residing in the story shared. This connectedness that emerges is a wonderful gift we share with our children allowing them to discover for themselves that our lives are bound on level with one another and our God we can barely grasp.
As we find ourselves immersed in the story of the Paschal mystery during this Easter season, ponder for a moment the miracle of the story that has been told for more than 2,000 years. It is because of those who witnessed the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – and chose to share the story – that we are aware of the promise of eternal life. Our ancestors of faith have given an immeasurable gift to us – The Greatest Story Ever Told! The torch has now been passed to us; the people of the Way; the heirs to the story. It will now be our choosing. Let us be courageous, follow our spiritual ancestors and ignite the hearts of others by continuing to tell the story. Tell the story often; tell it well – especially to our children, for they have the capacity to hear with their hearts. Even if the story is forgotten for a time it will not be lost – for the heart always remembers!
