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“So he told them this parable” (Luke 15:3)
The St. James Theatre in New York City has an absurd number of stairs. To reach the balcony, one must endure a treacherous hike through the building, crossing canyons of theatergoers, bathroom lines and merchandise stands. The occasional usher, smiling with a playbill in hand, offers a word of support for those ascending to the balcony.
But by the time the show begins, the hike is long forgotten. None of that matters anymore. It is time to tell a story. That is why we are here, after all, and it is why I return to this theater again and again. It holds marvelous stories.
Storytelling is a wonderful thing, and one I find most effective in the theater. New audiences arrive to see each performance, shaping and reshaping how the same story is told and received. Theater is immensely personal; for only a few hours, we inhabit another world. Together. With actors, technicians, musicians, critics and those who just love a show, we partake in telling a story as though it is the first time it has ever been told. It is a beautiful thing to be a part of.
Jesus understands the value of a good story. His ministry is one of narrative and nurture, and he reminds us that the stories we tell – and why we tell them – matter deeply. His ministry is one of the many reasons I am a Christian, for Jesus shows us through parables and speeches that stories have the power to change the world.
My hope this Lenten season is that we can honor the stories of our faith. What might the story of Jesus offer us from day to day? How does his story influence the way we move in the world? What stories around us do we forget to listen to?
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