The resurgence of the humble story

Kylie Ward

It has always been well-known that little kids love a story. We are challenged in homiletics class to use a good illustration and maybe tell a children's story in church.

Today, the "humble story" is experiencing resurgence in this post modern culture and the "good old-fashioned story" is being given a greater significance in the society we live in.

The use of story is a method that the business community has embraced. Spencer Johnson has written ten international bestselling books. Yet, no business book has been better received, than his parabolic book Who Moved My Cheese? This book has hit number one in almost every language and culture.

Ken Blanchard's book of the famed One Minute Manager doesn't provide list of facts or argue from evidence, but through a story teaches methods and techniques that make good managers.

The therapeutic community also uses story to encourage clients to find healing and relief. This methodology helps clients to view their own lives as stories and to see the greater story which they are helping to write.

Martin Newman in his book Emotional Capitalists suggests that we need to be self-determined to become CSO's - "Chief Storytelling Officers", of our lives.

At some point though, we have to ask why? Why, in this society, are the best selling stories not children's books but self-help and management material?

Annette Simmons in her book The Story Factor makes this apology for stories:

"Your listeners have enough information. They have all the facts and statistics they could ever want. In fact, they are drowning in information. Depression is at epidemic levels because all this information simply leaves us feeling incompetent and lost. We don't need more information. We need to know what it means and makes us feel like we fit in there somewhere."

As ministers attempting to fill the Biblical call to take the gospel to the entire world, we are looking for new and better techniques to reach people for the Kingdom of God. The new focus on story would suggest that information will no longer be enough to reach the hearts of seekers, and maybe the humble story could achieve this goal. Annette suggests that the story helps people find its place within the information.

The teaching world has embraced that new methods of learning are required as traditional teaching and information transmission does not produce the changes in behavior or retention of information that a teacher would like. This challenge has brought on a wave of experiential learning, active learning, brain based learning and a host of other methods that attempt to really involve people in the learning experience.

Interestingly, motion picture director Stanley Kubrick explains the power of a story as a way to get ideas across. In an interview reported in Time magazine he said:

"The essence of dramatic form is to let an idea come over people without it being plainly stated. When you say something directly, it is simply not as potent as it is, when you allow people to discover it for themselves." Time magazine, 15 December 1975, page 72.

Stories work not because they are void of truth but because, they present the truth in indirect ways and allow the listener to be an active participant in the process rather than a passive receiver of facts. A story grabs not only a person's mind, but their hearts and imaginations as well. It allows the listener then, to make the application for their individual selves.

The success of stories was evident in Jesus' ministry. He was able to hold the attention of large audiences consisting of mixed cultures and generations, for long time periods.

In the book Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson he says, "When Jesus appeared, He came telling stories and most of them have entered the world's folklore".

The resurgence of the humble story, if embraced by the church will make a difference. It will state the truth with heart and love and continue to change lives as Jesus and stories together always have.

Download a free copy of The Essential Guide to Storytelling that includes do's and don'ts of storytelling, how to tell a story and a storytelling quiz.

Kylie Ward is the women's and children's ministries director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the New Zealand Pacific region.

This article first appeared on the North New Zealand Children's Ministries website.

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