Luke 10:29b – 30a he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem.
The most famous and well discussed parable of Jesus is the parable of ‘the Good Samaritan’. On One occasion an expert in religious law came to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (vs 25). Jesus made him answer his question by picking his brain. “What is written in the Law?” He(Jesus) replied (vs 26). The man narrated Deuteronomy 6:5 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’, to prove how thorough he was in the Mosaic Law. Then He asked Jesus “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus chose to answer this question with a parable or story. All the parables of Jesus had a moral, ethical and spiritual theme. After narrating the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus turned back to the expert who came to question Him, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37). Jesus imparted a complex truth in simplified short stories.
Almost all cultures around the world have ‘folktales’ that were passed on from one generation to another. This was a mode of entertainment in the villages for the villages to come together and narrate the folktales as drama or as storytime around a bonfire. With the modern entertainment gadgets storytelling has been diluted. People sit before the television for hours but hardly spend time talking about their experiences to each other. Storytelling must be an integral part of our conversations. ‘One testimony is worth a thousand sermons’. Even if the listeners do not remember the sermon they will remember the story or the testimony that we narrate.
Storytelling must be an integral part of our conversation:
1. Model: Stories that we share must serve as a model for the next generation to follow. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Our stories need not always be our victories and heroic achievements. It can even be the silly mistakes that had costly outcomes. The story can be a warning or a model for the listeners to follow.
2. Moral: ‘ScienceDaily’ magazine had an article that proved higher levels of synchronized activity between mentalizing regions while actively engaging in listening to stories or reading a storybook. Ethics or moral values can be imprinted and embedded in the brain by backing up a concept with a story.
3. Methodology: The Storytelling Schools method is a dynamic and creative approach to learning. As humans we never stop learning and storytelling is a methodology that should be used to drive values across all age groups.
Moral, ethical and spiritual values must be embedded into our conversation.
Matthew 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, you are my role model teacher and Rabbi. Teach me the art of storytelling to impart into people around me and the next generation, the sound Biblical principles and values. Amen.
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