Story Time
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:34
When we think about the idea of story time, we tend to think of little children. But stories are for everyone. We all have a story, and we are all part of a bigger story. Our stories are often connected, and through stories we build connections, empathy and understanding. Storytelling was the way that Jesus shared with the crowds — stories and illustrations that helped them understand what he was trying to say, in a relatable way.
At St Peters, there are seven concepts that underpin Service Learning: Innate Dignity, Boundary Crossing, Come as Guest, Presence, Story, Stewardship and Community. We start with Innate Dignity as we believe that each person has been created in the image of God and is valuable and treasured. With Boundary Crossing, we acknowledge that invisible boundaries exist between us and people who are somehow different to us. We are encouraged to step out of our comfort zone, crossing those boundaries and into the space of the other to learn from them as we Come as Guest, humbly and respectfully. We then practise Presence to be fully attentive to the person and the relationship so that we can hear their Story, a treasured gift that someone shares with us. Stewardship recognises the interdependence of all things and calls us to care for each other and creation, acknowledging that we are relational beings, and all part of Community.
Last week my Christian Studies class had the honour of hearing a refugee's story when we had a visit from Thereze M. Even though Thereze was the guest in our classroom, we were the guests to her story. She shared about how she fled her home country at the age of six and lived in a refugee camp for the next 13 years until she and her family were able to come to Australia. Thereze shared some of the challenges and the heartbreak of life in a refugee camp, as well as the joy and gratitude she has for many things, despite such a hard start to life. By sharing her story with us, Thereze opened a window into a life we hadn't experienced, and, in doing so, opened our minds and hearts to things we hadn’t considered before. If we let them, stories shape us, both as teller and listener.
As well as telling stories to share important messages, Jesus was also good at listening to people’s stories and coming as a guest into their lives and situations. He spent time with people rejected by everyone else. He reached out to those on the margins. Those whose stories included shame and judgement. He met people where they were at and took time to hear them.
Every day, if we are open to it, we have opportunities to hear others’ stories or share our own in ways that help build connections and understanding, cross invisible boundaries, and build a bridge between us and someone else.
Lord God, in the busyness of our lives, help us slow down and make space for people to share their stories and lives with us, so that we can be more understanding and compassionate. Thank you for being the great storyteller and the great listener, and for inviting us to be part of your bigger story and to share our lives with you.
Amen
Renata Rankin
Director of Identity, Formation and Service
