This past summer, family and friends gathered to celebrate my brother and sister-in-law’s 25th wedding anniversary.
It was an informal gathering that had only one real goal: hang around and tell stories about Kurt and Tracy.
This was done not because we did not remember their wedding or anything else from the past 25 years. We did it because stories are the language of relationships. They remind us how much we care and that we are connected.
It should not surprise us, then, that the Bible starts with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That is the start of a story and that story tells about God’s relationship with his people down through the centuries. There are good reasons why God chose to communicate this way.
First, stories draw us in and cause us to feel the emotions that go along with the truth that is being conveyed. That is why you likely have a favourite book or movie, but you do not have a favorite tax code. Tax codes are true, but they are not very interesting.
Therefore, instead of making flat statements about how God wants everyone to be saved, Jesus tells a story about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son (Luke 15). By the end, we not only understand how lost we are but, as importantly, how our father feels about us when we are found.
Secondly, stories allow us to discover the truth ourselves. The parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) came about because Jesus refused to spoon-feed an answer to someone. Instead, he told the story and taught the man to think properly about his real-life circumstances.
Therefore, at this time of year when we think about, hear and re-tell the story of Jesus’ birth, may we not only remember that God loves us more than we know, but may we also experience his care for us.
After all, the story of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection is one that never gets old.
