Category: Parables/Allegories

Articles on the use of stories, parables, allegories, metaphors, similes (and so forth) in expressing God truth.

God as a Corrupt Judge?

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/AllegoriesLeave a comment

One of my favorite parables of Jesus is the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge… or the Unjust Judge… or the Persistent Widow. I prefer, “The Parable of the Corrupt Judge.”

It is in the Gospel of Luke 18:1-8. Below is the NIV translation of the passage.

 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Verse 1 tells us the purpose of the parable, and that is nice. We don’t have to guess or theorize. Jesus is telling us that we should continue to pray without giving up.

The parable tells us WHY we should keep praying but the first glance reason is a bit confusing. God is compared to a corrupt judge. It essentially says to the effect… “If even this corrupt judge would do what this persistent widow asks, how much MORE will God do for those who persistently pray to Him.

However, the parable/story is more than an example in how persistent asking is a good thing. That is because Jesus pulls it out of being a simple illustration and into a character study. Consider the table below:

Sympathizes withFeelings about be talked to…Form of Interaction
Corrupt JudgeHimselfAnnoyedTransactional
GodThe plight of the “elect”PleasedRelational

SYMPATHY. In the story, the Judge doesn’t care. See this in verses 4 and 5. He doesn’t care about God or what He thinks. He doesn’t care about others. He does not care about doing his job well. He does not care about much of anything, except himself. He has great sympathy as it pertains to his own well-being and comfort. He delayed responding in the hope that she would give up and go away. When she didn’t he decided to do what she wanted so that he can get some peace, and to ensure that she doesn’t ramp up the pressure and attack him.

God is shown in contrast to this. The people praying to Him for justice are chosen ones of His— those he specifically chose to bless. While people are told to keep praying, it is clear in verses 7 and 8, He will not turn His back. He will quickly respond to the plight of His chosen.

FEELINGS. In the story, the Judge seems to be annoyed, and maybe a little fearful.

God is very different. He does not appear to be annoyed— He could, in theory at least, not listen. And there is nothing that His people can do that can instill fear in Him. He appears to welcome His chosen, and He appears ready to quickly respond to their requests.

INTERACTION. In the story, the Judge’s interaction with the widow is Transactional. There is an implied deal here. The Judge will do what the widow requests, and the widow will leave him alone.

While the reasoning for God to respond is not given clearly, I would suggest that the interaction is Relational. If God is motivated by sympathy (love if you prefer), and is quick (even eager) to respond… then why is persistence sought out by God? In the story of the judge and the widow, persistence is to create annoyance, so that the judge would accept a transaction. But if God is already sympathetic and eager to help, I would suggest that God is eager for communication since communication is foundational to a relationship.

I think this last point is important. Many Christians struggle with it. I recall reading a book by Bill Bright about how fasting was the way to get God to answer one’s prayers— as if God is transactional. I recall being given a book of “Powerful Prayers.” Apparently, if one says these prayers in the right way, God will release His power to accomplish what WE want. Transactional thinking is pretty common. Read Micah 6:1-7. This describes transactional thinking. Micah 6:8 makes clear that this is NOT how God operates.

For me, at least, this parable is a great message of hope because GOD IS THOROUGHLY UNLIKE A CORRUPT JUDGE IN TERMS OF SYMPATHY, FEELINGS, AND INTERACTIONS.

Mythic and Parabolic Functions in Stories

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

Here is a section from “Theo-storying: Reflections on God, Narrative, and Culture.” If interested, it is available by CLICKING HERE.

Definitions

As I have said or implied previously, there is no real agreement on definitions for the terms “myth” and “parable.” The term “myth” was used in chapter 5, but the definition used (as supplied by Erickson) is one of many. Part of the problem with defining the terms stems from the fact that these terms predate technical definitions. This is compounded by the fact that these terms have been utilized by different fields of study that have specific interests that are in conflict with each other. Those interested in cultural anthropology, folklore, literature, and theology are invested in these terms, especially the term “myth.” A layperson also has interest and may give a range of responses. One may focus on myths being old. Another may focus on myths being in opposition to “science” (“science” being another extremely loosely defined term). Yet another may focus on the heroic or divine nature of myths. Still others may see myths as etiological– providing explanation– “just so” stories of times past.

Theologians tend to see myths from a more functionalist standpoint. Myths exist to explain things to people regarding their culture and beliefs. Myths may be true or false. The Iliad by Homer appears to be VERY loosely tied to the historical events of a war in the Aegean Sea thousands of years ago. The element of historicity is interesting but not necessarily important. The function of the story to Greek self-understanding is not bound to whether the story is completely historical, completely fiction, or something in between. Curiously, while theologians say that myths may or may not be historical, from my experience at least, theologians typically presume that myths are not historical (a more layman understanding of the term). That’s a shame.

For the purposes of this book, a functionalist understanding of myth will be used, following the thoughts of Claude Levi-Strauss and John Dominic Crossan.1 However, because of the confusion in the term, this paper will not focus on the term “myth” but on “mythic function.” Utilizing this and tying it to the idea of cultural relevance gives,

Mythic function: A story has a mythic function if it supports, justifies, or explains a social or cultural norm or ideal that resonates with that culture.

Parabolic function: A story has a parabolic function if it challenges or contradicts a social or cultural norm or ideal of a culture, resonating instead with deep-seated values within a counterculture.

If one takes the definitions for “mythic” and “parabolic” and extends them to the noun forms, also utilizing the idea of cultural resonance, then:

Myth: A story that has power within a certain culture because it resonates with the culture’s deep-seated values.

Parable: A story that has power within a certain culture because it resonates with the deep-seated values within the counter-culture (or gives voice to doubts within the dominant culture).

The use of the term “parable” can be problematic, just as can the term “myth,” described earlier. The various stories of Jesus are commonly called parables. Yet not all would fit the definition of parable shown above. This, however, seems no reason to throw away our definition, Rather, it seems best to recognize that some terms can have more than one definition.

Consider Figure 7 for a moment. Four quadrants are set up based on their role or function within a specific culture. The x-axis provides a range from being culturally resonant to being culturally relevant. Since a story can be both resonant and relevant, we will assume that on the left side are stories that are relevant but not resonant, while on the right are those that are both relevant and resonant. The y-axis is a range from being challenging to the dominant culture to not being challenging to that culture.

If a story has resonance and is challenging to the dominant culture (meaning it has counter-cultural resonance), that can be said to be a parabolic story. If a story has cultural resonance but is not challenging, but rather is supportive, to the dominant culture, it can be said to be a mythic story. If a story is not truly resonant, but is still culturally relevant, and challenges in some sense the dominant culture, it could be described as being a revelatory story (revealing something new to the culture). If the story is culturally relevant but not challenging, it could be described as being an illustrative story.

Figure 7. Story Quadrants

Consider a few examples.

A. The Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-8). The story in itself does not have the earmarks of resonance. A person sowing seeds certainly is culturally relevant but, having been raised in farming country, I just don’t see the story speaking to people in the culture on a deeper level. It also does not really challenge people in that culture. It could be said to be an illustrative story. It tries to explain to people how others respond to God’s word. The fact that Jesus actually does interpret His story in terms of explaining the abstract with the concrete (rather than challenge or support cultural values) gives credence to this view.

B. Parables of the Kingdom. There are several short stories that describe the Kingdom of Heaven (like yeast put into dough, like a tiny seed, etc.) These again don’t have the qualities of cultural resonance. However, they do challenge people’s thinking about what God’s kingdom is (and is not). As such, these could be described as revelatory stories. The kingdom of God arrives as a lamb not a lion. No Judas Maccabeus in this revolution.

C. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. This story is culturally resonant. Determination of ‘Us” versus “Them” is a hot topic in most all cultures. It strikes at the heart of the fears and hopes of people in that culture. However, the question is whether it is mythic or parabolic. If the story had as its hero a Jew, or a Jewish religious leader, it might be said to be mythic. The Mosaic Law enforces the value of hospitality and care for strangers and aliens. However, the switching of characters (the unhelpful Levite and Priest, and the caring sacrificial Samaritan) challenged the dominant cultural viewpoint, but most likely resonated with the feelings of the counter-culture that religious leaders are too often focused on religious piety rather than love and care for the needy. This makes it a parabolic story.

D. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). This story is unusual because it has both mythic and parabolic components. A story that involves the question of children growing up and drifting away from the family would probably be resonant in nearly any culture. And the story follows a typical mythic path. The mythic component will be dealt with more in the next chapter. But after the son is restored into the family, poorer but wiser, the older brother comes into the picture. His sanctimonious complaint has a parabolic quality. The older brother was saying what most listeners would be thinking, so when the father challenged the older brother, the listener is likewise challenged.

Storytelling and Samson’s Seven Braids

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

Something like 40 or 50 years ago I was in church and we had a guest preacher. He was in his 60s, possibly 70s. He gave an interesting little story— probably not true, but perhaps it was. It was something like this…

“When I was a young boy in church, our pastor was preaching, and he was preaching on Samson and Delilah. In the story, Samson reveals to Delilah that if the seven braids are removed, he would lose his strength. The men of Gaza shaved off the seven braids of his head and Samson is conquered. The preacher explained what each of those braids represented. I was enthralled. I was so amazed at the knowledge of our pastor. I thought to myself, ‘If only I could go to Bible School someday, I may learn such wondrous secret things about the Bible.’ Years later I went to Bible School and was surprised to learn that the seven braids did not mean anything at all— it was just how many braids he had..”

For decades this little story reminds me of the temptation toward secret knowledge. I got lured by the enticements of aggressive typology, numerology, and eschatology. I think the story kept a skeptical edge in me. I appreciate that.

But lately I have done some thinking. Judges 16 is where the story of Samson and his seven braids is included. The story mentions his seven braids twice.

Why did it mention seven braids. I really don’t think each braid represented something. The story is whole without that detail. In fact, the story has lots of details missing and the braid thing could have been left out.

But while the number of braids is not necessary to the story… it is beneficial.

In telling the story, the fall is too quick. Samson gave his strength over to the enemy, and the enemy struck. But as a storyteller, the fall can be driven home in stages. He rejected his role as judge— snip and shave off the first braid. He took God’s empowerment and used it for drunken fights— snip and shave off the second braid. He rejected his people as he cavorted with the enemy— snip and shave off the third braid. The story could continue perhaps getting to the dramatic moment. Samson rejected the Torah and in so doing rejected his God— snip and shave of the final braid. Perhaps seven was the number of his braids— I tend to presume historicity. But if it was added for the purpose of the story, then it seems reasonable to assume that seven suggests a total fall.

The braids, then, don’t have actual meaning, but the preacher who used the braids as a framework for his sermon most likely was drawing from the oral roots of the story. Perhaps the only error of the preacher was to share this sermon with some who would confuse fact with rhetorical device.

Planting Mangos— A Parable

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

Paolo and Tomas, cousins, lived on a small island in a big river. They were born there as were their parents before them. In the fields, they found a spot of shade as they ate their merienda before returning to work the land.

As they were eating mangos, Paolo put his mango seed in a small sack. Tomas was confused. Dropping his seed on the ground, he said to Paolo, “What’s with that? Are you so hungry you are hoping to eat the stone later?”

As if to double down on his action, Paolo picked up the seed left by Tomas and placed in the same sack.

Paolo responded, “I am saving them to plant them. Who knows, maybe they will grow into great trees where we can get all of the mangos we want.”

Tomas looked at Paolo with scorn. “Paulo,” said Tomas, “You have lived here since you were born, but you still don’t know how things work? We work land that we don’t own. We live in homes that we don’t own. The Santos family own everything. We give 70% of all we grow to them. They don’t even give us the seedlings for the next season’s plantings. As if that is not enough, every year, the whole family comes in their pugpug (river boat) and they start collecting all the fruit that grows on the trees that are on their land. Even the children do that. And they don’t take 70%— they take everything that is ripe and commonly end up destroying much of what is not ready for harvest.”

Paolo just nodded. No need to respond to the obvious.

Tomas continued. “Those seeds may never grow and if they do will not fruit for many years. And what if they do someday bear fruit? You plant trees and the fruit just goes into the bellies of those who don’t deserve it… much less need it. It is like investing in your making your house nicer. THEY own the house, not you. They can kick you out anytime. Knowing our landlord, if you make the house too nice, he may tell you that should pay 75% of what you grow… or tell you to move out.”

“You are right Tomas.” said Paolo. “It might be a waste of time, But not much of a waste. 5 minutes of work may come to nothing…. who knows. Maybe someday I will enjoy these mangos. Maybe I won’t but my children will. Or maybe new people tending the land will. Or perhaps the Santos family children and grandchildren will. That is all okay. 5 minutes of work is worth the risk.”

Years later, the work proved worth the risk. Paolo got a job overseas sending money home to his wife and family so that they eventually were able to buy the land on which they lived. The families of Paolo and Tomas were both able to enjoy the mango trees— their shade in the heat of day and their strong and expansive branches to be explored by the children. Every year they enjoyed the sweet wonderful fruits and sold extras in the market.

<This story is strongly based on my father-in-law. The story reminds me that investing on possibilities is a risk… but there may be a greater risk in doing nothing.>

Joseph— The Boy Who Could Not Read a Room

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

Joseph one day walked into the tent where all of the male members of Jacob’s family were together. Joseph’s brothers pretended not to notice him.

Jacob said, “Joseph. You are late. Was their anything wrong?”

“Oh no Father,” replied Joseph. “It just took me longer than I expected. With my brothers, who were supposed to be helping me, off gambling and drinking and I don’t know what else, there was an awful lot for me to do.”

“Snitch,” mumbled Napthali to no one in particular.

Jacob beamed at his son. “Well done Joseph. You boys,” apparently referring to all of the rest of his mostly adult sons, “should follow the fine example of your brother. Come near the fire, it is a cold night.”

“Thank you father,” replied Joseph, “but this coat that you gave me keeps me comfortable in the heat and the cold alike. It is simply amazing!”

Jacob beamed at his son, while the others stared at Joseph with barely disguised anger.

One morning as the family gathered to eat before the day got underway, Joseph came over last, put on an exaggerated yawn and stretch and said, “Oh wow, but did I have trouble with sleeping. I had such a crazy dream. I couldn’t help but think about it all night.”

“Well please then Joseph, share this amazing dream with us,” said Simeon with a sardonic smile.

Reuben gave Simeon an elbow in the side and a look as if to say, “You know our brother can’t recognize sarcasm. Now he will be compelled to tell us.”

Reuben was correct. Joseph continued. “Well, my brothers and I were gathering wheat. But suddenly the sheave I made went straight and upright and your sheaves all came around and bowed in the direction of my sheave. Crazy dream right? I have been thinking about it all night but can’t make any sense of it. Can you?”

Judah could not hold his tongue. “What are you telling us, runt. Are you saying that you are going to rule over us?”

“Judah, what an interesting interpretation. I never thought of that. Ohohohoh… and I had this other dream. In it the sun and the moon and the stars were all bowing down to me. I wonder what that means?”

Their father, no longer amused, jumped in and told his sons to stop the idle chatter and get on with their day. As Joseph’s brothers went off together to take care of the sheep they mumbled to each other.

“Do you think Joseph really had those dreams?” asked Zebulun.

“Of course not!” said Levi, with a chorus of nods from the others. “He is acting like a spoiled firstborn son rather than a worthless 11th born.”

Reuben laughed humorlessly. “Well in our line, being firstborn seems to mean next to nothing. Neither our father nor our grandfather were truly firstborn. Perhaps Joseph thinks he can continue that family tradition.”

A few days later Joseph’s brothers were tending the sheep while Joseph had remained with his father. Jacob said to his son, “Joseph, I would like you to find your brothers and check on our flock and then let me know how things are going.”

So Joseph went out to find his brothers. It took him awhile since they had traveled far to find the best pastures for their sheep.

Finding them, Joseph called out, “Brothers, I finally found you. Our father asked me to check on you and find out what is going on.”

Napthali whispered to his brothers, “The snitch has come to spy on us.”

Judah spoke louder, “So father’s little spy. What report do you intend to give him.”

“I don’t know,” joked Joseph. “What will you give me to improve my report?”

That was it. They were tired of their little brother with the fancy coat. They took away his coat and dropped him in one of the old cisterns. They sat around and laughed about Joseph and began to banter about what they were going to do with him. They came up with more and more elaborate and unlikely revenge fantasies.

Gradually, the laughing lessened as each of them realized the same thought— they had tossed their father’s favorite son into a hole imprisoning him— a son that cannot keep his mouth shut.

This realization hit Reuben first. As the oldest son, he realized that any blame would first fall on him. He went over to the top of the cistern. He called down to his younger brother.

“Joseph. Well, we have had a little fun. I hope it was fun for you as well. How about I pull you up out of there. You can have a good meal and you can go back to Father and let him know that everything is fine. How does that sound to you?”

“Oh no.” replied Joseph, “When I get back. I am going to tell Father EXACTLY what you did! He is going to be so mad. He will probably put me in charge of all of you.”

Pondering what to do next, a Bedouin caravan entered the oasis where the brothers were staying. It was a tough decision… but clearly their brother must never talk to their father. At the same time, they (with the possible exception of Levi and Simeon) did not want to have blood on their hands. So they sold Joseph to the caravan.

Of course, most of us know the rest of the story. Joseph becomes a servant in the house of Potiphar, an official in Egypt. We learn about Potiphar’s wife becoming infatuated with Joseph as she had with a number of her servants. She would give him looks that Joseph completely misinterpreted. Then she made some rather seductive remarks to him that he thought were jokes and responded back in like manner to continue the joke. This mutual misunderstanding rapidly ended up with Joseph running at full speed out of the house naked.

As soon as Joseph could find some clothes he sought out Potiphar at the city gate. Joseph came up to Potiphar and the other local leaders. In a loud voice he said, “Sir I need to talk to you about your wife.”

Potiphar knew what was coming. Potiphar knew well his wife. Early on, he would have servants killed who had fooled around with her. Eventually, he realized that it was expensive to keep having to replace servants. Besides, it is not as if his behavior was always above reproach with the servants.

Potiphar broke in. “Shhhh, Joseph. Let’s go somewhere else and we can talk quietly.”

“Oh no, my lord. I must tell you. Your wife tried to seduce me, and when I rejected her advances, well she said that she would tell you that I tried to… well, you know… force myself on her. But I would never do that! She looks fine for an… older woman I suppose. But that is not the point. I would never ever ever…” He continued on as Potiphar tried to shut him up.

Finally, Potiphar gave up. His friends now knew what happened. He could not just cover things up. Potiphar was not happy to lose more money on another servant, but he had no choice.

“I can’t keep him,” he mused. “I would look weak. But I don’t need his blood on my hands— having him killed because he lacks common sense on when and where to talk.”

After some thought he knew the right answer. He can put him with the political prisoners. Know one will know what happened to him. And that is what happened. Joseph was secretly placed in the Pharoah’s prison.

And there he sat. But God looked on him with pity. “Our poor, flawed Joseph. He cannot help but talk when others know to keep silent. I will turn his weakness into a strength. I will give him the ability to read people’s dreams. He will invariably tell people what their dreams mean, even if the meaning is bad.”

With God’s gift to interpret dreams, and his own lack of caution and common sense, Joseph rose from an imprisoned slave to the second-in-command in Egypt.

If God can do that with someone as messed up as Joseph, imagine what he can do with messed up you?

Quote on Story-telling by Dorothy L. Sayers (and Reflections)

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/AllegoriesLeave a comment

It is easy enough for superior persons to scorn the story-teller’s art and patronise his unsophisticated audience. Story-telling (so they say, and I will not deny it) is a knack often possessed by very vulgar and illiterate writers; the eagerness to know ‘what happened next’ is (no doubt) a mark of the eternal child in us. … The good story-teller is born, not made, and this is perhaps the reason why his art is despised by the learned, for learning can neither bestow it nor account for it.

-Dorothy L. Sayers, in ‘The Eighth Bolgia’ as quoted in “Cred Without Chaos– Exploring Theology in the WRitings of Dorothy L. Sayers” by Laura K. Simmons (page 45).

I recall a class I took in college called “Modernist Literature.” I took the class back in the mid-1980s, so I don’t know how the term Modernist is used now, but back then the term seemed to mean a rejection of the normal rules of narrative— the art of story-telling. I recall reading an article written by an author in the Modernist movement who was doing a bit of soul-searching on paper. She seemed to be struggling with the fact that she has spent so long writing in a manner that rejects the rules of story-telling, she may have lost the ability to tell a regular story.

It is entirely possible, however, that she never had that ability. Telling stories that are engaging is difficult. This can be even more difficult when it comes religious writings where one is, hopefully, trying to be both creative/challenging and orthodox (or at least not clearly heterodox). I wonder at times whether preachers use the parables of Jesus not only because they are honoring the canonicity of Scripture, but also because of fear in creating stories to help people today understand the ineffable.

I have heard people speak with derision of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs (stories from Pellucidar, Mars, and Africa— all heavily fictionalized). I recall reading his stories where the first 20 or 30 pages were a bit slow and confusing— disparate story threads meandering around. Then suddenly they come together and I, as the reader, am pulled in. I have to know what happens. This is an art. I am not completely sure that Sayers is correct it is born, not made, but maybe it is. I certainly am not a storyteller. I try… but I don’t really have that gift.

Our faith needs storytellers— in various media forms. I watched “The Most Reluctant Convert”— This was a biopic on the life, or at least conversion experience, of C.S. Lewis. I enjoyed the movie well enough. It reminded me a LITLE bit of “Many Beautiful Things” on the life of the missionary Lilias Trotter. Both avoided a strict narrative structure. I am not sure if that helped or hut. With the film on Trotter, her water colors helped. With Lewis, I kind of think that the producers of the movie wanted too much to be didactic. Perhaps the movie “Luther” (on the life of Martin Luther) or even “Shadowlands” would have been a better choice.

Still, far too often, Christian media has shied away from the art of storytelling. I watched a movie recently— “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.” It is a very rough movie with some subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) religious themes. I would not call it a Christian movie. Still, I feel like the movie, with its strong storying could easily be reimagined as a faith journey.

I have put an article I wrote on storytelling on this site (it already exists elsewhere, and it is in the 2022 edition of “Bukal Life Journal.”) The Link is Below.

OralityDownload

Theological Reflection through Storying in the Orality and Clinical Pastoral Training Movements

Orality Webinar

On By missionmusingsIn missions theology, Parables/Allegories, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I have been watching a series of Webinars on the Orality Movement. It is a partnership between Lausanne Movement and International Orality Network (ION).

The focus has been on the recent work of Tom Steffen and Bill Bjoraker, particularly in terms of Oral Hermeneutics and Character Theology.

It is available on Youtube at “Lausanne Orality”—- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7qDsOdAVRN4Z9ravw5ddeg/featured

It is also available in podcast form on some platforms under ‘God Speaks.’

I have watched all of the ones so far, and was able to participate live (although mostly as a lurker). For those interested in Orality, not just as a method for sharing the gospel with those who cannot read, but also in terms of communicating in a world that commonly learns without reliance on print media.

Another Important Life Story

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

The last post I included the first life story I created. As I stated before, none of us have a life story. We have to create them… and there is a potential for infinite stories based on our experiences, thoughts, motivations, interconnections with others and the world, and meanings we come from the interpretation of these things. Some such stories are more important than others. Some may even be described as formational— key to how we view life, and live our lives. He is another one. It is not as old as the one I shared previously. This one only goes back to the time I was 9 or 10. Even then it was just an occurrence. Only gradually was it distilled into a formational story.

I originally shared this story on the webpage back in 2015, as well as in a book that I never formally published. If it sounds a bit trite… you are probably right. But it has been important to me even if not to others. That is the way stories tend to be.

ARKWRIGHT FALLS

When I was young, my father and Mr. Dyer were Sunday School teachers at our church.    The two of them took several of us boys, students in their classes, camping.    We set up tents on some state land a mile (more or less) from Arkwright Falls.    We had a great time hanging around the campfire roasting marshmallows, swatting mosquitoes, and doing other campish things.    We slept, tightly packed, in our little tents.    The night was cool, but not too cold.    In the morning, we ate our Spartan breakfast.    Learning how to make toast using a stick and a fire was interesting.    Then we prepared for our hike.

Arkwright Falls is not the largest falls around.    Fifty miles away is Niagara Falls, which is many times larger.    But there are no people at Arkwright Falls– just river, forest, and falls.    The Falls are on no map that I have seen.    People near it know where it is.    Sometimes the serenity and peace are more important than what are the biggest and the “best.”    We had a great hike.    We goofed around, as kids are prone to do.    Although out in the wilds, the dirt path there was smooth and straight.   

The water sure was ice cold, but the day was hot and bright.    So it felt great!!    We stayed and swam and splashed in the pool at the foot of the falls.    In movies I have seen, people seem to be compelled to go to the top of the falls and jump off into the pool below.    But since there was no movie being done there that day, we did not do anything particularly death-defying.    Besides, I doubt my dad would have let us.

One can only appreciate a waterfall, large or small, for so long.    Eventually, it was time to start going back to our campsite to pack for home.    We were all soaked now.    Our canvas top sneakers “squished” as our wet feet “squooshed” in them, sockless.   

Some of us started walking and jogging faster than the rest and in a friendly sort of way we became a bit competitive.    Competitive may be the wrong word, but gradually I came to the conclusion that I would win (who knows what?) if I made it to the campsite first.    So I started moving faster and faster.    Soon I was jogging along at a pretty good pace.    It became apparent that the return trip would not be as fun as the trip over.    The sun was high now in the heat of the day and the sweat generated from running soon attracted many happy little bugs of the forest.    I also was not one who particularly enjoyed running.    Years later, two years on High School track only further clarified my general dislike of running.

Weary, hot, and buggy I arrived at the campsite first.    I had won.    Looking back I discovered that there was no one else racing.    I had raced myself while everyone else was having a merry stroll along the path.    Worse, I discovered a problem with running sockless in wet canvas-top sneakers.    My ankles were heavily abraded and I was bleeding.    Eventually, everyone else came along happy and relaxed.    We packed up and left.

Yes, I know.    This was one of the most boring stories ever, right?    But for me it was not boring at all.    It was one of those life-lesson moments. I gave the story plot and meaning, and that meaning is still with me today.  

  • Success is not always being first
  • Success is not always “winning” (however you define winning)
  • Sometimes success is in the journey

My First Important Life Story

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/AllegoriesLeave a comment

How many stories does a life have? I would like to suggest the following as the two possible correct answers:

First, a very good answer is ZERO. Nada. Wala. We interact with the universe in near infinite ways in an approximately infinite number of moments in a span of time that connects eternities. Things happen near us, far from us, around us, to us, through us, inside of us, and (in some sense) because of us. There are people, but no cast of characters. There are events, but no theming or plot. Pretty much all causation and motivations are tentative at best, and meaning is pretty arbitrary. No stories exist of themselves.

Second, a very good answer is “As Many as We Choose to Make.” To make a story from one’s life, one takes one short period of time, or a series of points in our lives, remove the vast majority of things associated with what was going on around, ascribe motivations, theming, causal relations, and relevant charactors, ultimately ending up with a plot. The end result is a story, and that story will typically “mean something.”

One of the most important stories I made from my life was when I was pretty young— when my first baby tooth fell out.

“I don’t remember how my first baby tooth fell out or even which one it was. It was certainly one of the ones in front. I am sure it wiggled a little and then wiggled a lot, and finally came out. Some of my baby teeth were helped with a string. Some just fell out as I was eating. I have no memories of these details. But I do remember a scene where I was in the living room of our farmhouse showing my tooth to my dad. I think my mom was there as well—- standing to the left of my dad. He said, “Bob.” I think it was Bob. My mom would say Bobby or Robby, but I think my dad always called me Bob. Anyway, “Bob, you put that tooth under your pillow tonight, and the Tooth Fairy will come and exchange that tooth for a quarter.”

Back around 1970 a quarter was great. I did not receive an allowance at that time, so I had to ask for anything I wanted at the Ivory Story down the road from my home. A quarter went quite a ways in the candy section, and I could choose how it was used. That was pretty exciting.

But something wasn’t right. Fairies are like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. Even at that age I found this suspicious. Fairies did not sound real. Where we lived we had fireflies that would flash lights as they would seemingly float in the night air. But they were clearly bugs… not fairies. I had to ask something.

“Uh dad,” I queried, “is that really true? You know, fairies and all?”

I seem to remember my dad looking over at my mom for a second, and then saying, “Well no, not really. It is just a game we play… for fun.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” I responded. That seemed like a good answer. That night I put my tooth under my pillow and I was so surprised in the morning to find the tooth gone and replaced by a quarter. I was not surprised because of the magic of the Tooth Fairy. Rather, I was amazed that my dad was able to make the switch without waking me up.

Actually, it took until my fourth or fifth tooth before I found out how he did it.

This is a story— it has plot, theming, characters. It includes relevant parts of my motivation and thoughts. Perhaps most importantly, it has meaning.

This story is one of the most important stories of my life to me. To a large extent, this story guided me to who I am today.

Actually, the story has two meanings… but those two meanings work together, rather than in conflict with each other.

The Lesser Important Meaning. There is nuance in this world. Many people see the world in black and white—- or good and evil. But there are things in between. One could believe in the Tooth Fairy and act according to that belief. One could also not believe in the Tooth Fairy and act according to that lack of belief. But one could also not believe in the Tooth Fairy while acting AS IF it did. The same thing with Santa Claus. My parents never pretended that Santa was REAL. However, Santa was part of the GAME and TRADITION of Christmas. Honesty and rationality doesn’t have to crush the whimsical. I can hunt for easter eggs left by the Easter Bunny while still knowing that my parents had hidden those eggs themselves (and my sister and I helping color them the day before). This is not necessarily a life-changing principle, but I am so thankful that my story had that meaning in it.

The Greater Important Meaning. My parents believed that it was important to be honest with me. They might explain things in simple terms so that I, at whatever age I was, could understand, but they would not lie to me. That was a great gift to me and helped me to grow up as a man of faith. Why? I knew what my parents believed about fairies, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. They were fun traditions that did not correspond to the real world. For my parents, however, they told me that God was real, Jesus was real, and their faith in Christ was vital in their lives. I knew this was true for them… because they told me. If it wasn’t, they would not have told me it was.

Over the years, my parents told me lots and lots of things. Some over time I came to the conclusion was not true. However, it was clear to me that my parents did not lie to me… they told me because they believed it to be true. I am thankful for that. I wonder what it is like to have been raised by parents who would say “God is real, and one should go to church” while also saying, “Santa is real and will only give you a gift if you have been good all year.” The dishonesty of one would seem to me to lead to distrust about the other. I could be wrong… but I have always tried to be honest with my children. I think that was the right thing. I also tried to not let that honesty destroy whimsy.

Or maybe I did destroy the whimsy. I never did dress up as Santa like my father did (my build would make a much more believable Santa than he). I am not sure. Perhaps my children have created their own stories that put me in a much different light. That is fair.

Stories are created… even our own stories.

<I would describe this as my first important life story. There were earlier stories. I remember when I was 4 years old, I was at my friend’s birthday party and I cheated at “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” I felt guilty about that… until many years later when I realized that I certainly had not fooled anyone (not at age four).>

Escaping the Labyrinth: A Parable

On By missionmusingsIn Parables/Allegories, storiesLeave a comment

The story of Theseus and the Minotaur is well-known. In the story, Theseus volunteered to enter the Labyrinth— a maze-like structure created by Daedalus, in the Minoan capital of Knossos. Doing so was considered a death sentence. Either Theseus would be killed by the Minotaur, a creature who is half-man and half-bull who roamed the Labyrinth, or he would become hopeless lost in its twisted, confusing passages. However, the daughter of King Minos gave Theseus a thread that he could unwind as he traveled deep into its depths to give him a return path.

One can, perhaps, add a tiny bit to the story. One can imagine that Theseus had just killed the Minotaur. As he began to wind the thread to guide his way out, he saw some shapes begin to come out of the shadows. He soon found that there were several others who lived in the Labyrinth. These were other enemies of King Minos who were sent into the Labyrinth as their punishment. They had managed to stay out of sight of the Minotaur, only coming out when he slept, to gather food scraps for their own survival. Their lives were a daily misery, but now one of their great concerns, the Minotaur, was dead. One more remained, getting out of the Labyrinth.

After greeting each other, Theseus said, “Please join me friends. I know the way out.”

One responded, “I don’t know. There is a breeze I have noticed that comes out of the passage near the Minotaur’s sleeping chamber. I am sure that must mean that it is a safe passage out of here.”

Another said, “That passage is heading downward. Escape must be upward not downward. Above us light comes in. Now that we are safe from the Minotaur, I can tie together wood scraps to make a ladder to climb to freedom.”

Yet another said, “That’s dangerous. We need help from others. Now that the Minotaur is dead, all we have to do is leave a note in the lift mechanism that the King’s servants use to lower food to the beast. Once, they know he is dead, certainly they can be convinced to pull us up out of this pit.”

Theseus was frustrated and spoke over the bickering group. “Friends!” he said. “What you all are saying makes sense I suppose. Following a moving air, or light above, or maybe friendly outsiders may work. I don’t know. Maybe there are a hundred ways out of this place. But the one thing I know is that I have the thread and it connects this place to the entrance of this place. I will follow it, and I will get out. If you want out, I recommend following me. Otherwise, all I can do is wish you well and pray your plans work out for you.”

With this, he began following the thread again. How many followed him. I don’t know. Of those who chose their own way, we don’t know how many found their way and how many were trapped there until their deaths.

All we know is that Theseus was saved by a thin thread that led to his freedom..