When a Story Is the Best Response

The rabbis also told stories to provide insight into the character of God. This parable from the Hasidic tradition seems to empha­size the gracious mercy of God.

Once, long ago, when one of the great rabbis saw a mis­fortune threatening Israel, he would go to a certain place in the forest where he would light a fire and say a special prayer. A miracle would then happen, and disaster would be averted. Years later when other misfortunes threatened Israel, the rabbi's disciple went to God to intercede. He re-turned to the same place in the forest and said, "Master of the Universe, I am not able to light the fire, but I can still say the prayer." Again, a miracle would happen.

Many years later, yet another rabbi went to intercede for Israel. He would go to the place in the forest and say, "Master of the Universe, I cannot light a fire, and I do not know the prayer, but I do know the place, and it must be sufficient "And it was. The miracle happened.

Finally many, many years later, misfortune threatened again. Another rabbi sat in his armchair in his study and with his head in his hands prayed. "Master of the Universe, I cannot light the fire, and I do not know the prayer. I cannot even find the place in the forest. But I can tell the story, and it must be sufficient." And it was.⁵

In its emphasis on the power and mercy of God, this story provides key insights about God.

Stories Challenge Beliefs or Behaviors

Parables are an effective way to challenge beliefs or behaviors in a relatively safe way. The story tends to externalize the difficult issue and provide some emotional distance between the teller and the issue. The emotional distance of "using the third person" allows a person to address emotionally charged issues indirectly.

If we look in the Gospels, we see that Jesus sometimes used par­ables in this way. His stories often had elements that were cultur­ally provocative (a Samaritan hero or a praying tax collector) or amazingly confrontational (playing children), but because these provocative elements were in story form, they obtained a hearing. Here are parables that Jesus told in which the aspect of confronta­tion seems particularly evident:

The Blind Leading the Blind (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39)

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

The Playing Children (Matthew 11:16-17; Luke 7:31-32)

The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)

In each of these stories, the point is clearly confrontational, but the parable allows the point to be made from a safe distance. This distance allows the teller to confront in a way that gives the listener room to respond.

Looking Back

Stories and parables are most effective in difficult situations. They help us to explore a range of plausible endings, reveal re­alities that are otherwise closed to us, clarify and reinforce role expectations, provoke insights, and challenge beliefs or behavior. The indirect nature of the communication allows the teller to be very candid while retaining enough emotional distance to feel safe.

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D. Bruce Seymour is Senior Pastor of New Monmouth Baptist Church in Middletown, New Jersey.

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From Creating Stories That Connect by D. Bruce Seymour. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing, 2007. Copyright © 2007 by D. Bruce Seymour. Used by permission.

Notes.

1. Harvey K. McArthur and Robert M. Johnston, They Also Taught in Parables (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990), 66.

2. Cited in Bits and Pieces, August 2003, 16-17.

3. Quoted in McArthur and Johnston, They Also Taught in Parables, 26-27.

4. Leith Anderson, Leadership That Works (Grand Rapids: Bethany, 1999), 187-89.

5. Susan M. Shaw, Storytelling in Religious Education (Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press, 1999), 32-33.