Many years ago, Father Melvin gave
a sermon on telling a story. He cited Matthew 13:10-17 where the disciples
asked Jesus Why do you speak to them in parables?
Jesus referred them to
Isaiah 6:9-10 where the prophet talked about people with eyes but cannot see,
ears but cannot hear, and minds but cannot understand.
Jesus could make a point with religious leaders present but most of these very knowledgeable men generally did not understand. On the rare occasions when they did understand Jesus had said something against them, they got upset. The common people loved the stories even if they did not understand. What they did understand was the practical nature of these parables.
For Father Melvin, telling a story was simply a way to make his point each week. For a good old southern country boy like him, spinning a yarn just came naturally. Still, Father Melvin was concerned telling a story to make a point was a dying art and encouraged us to learn how. Yes, a little bit of Father Melvin is in many of my meditations.
Consider all of the jobs that rely on telling a good story. Newspapers, magazines, and books of all kind rely on writers to tell a story. Would we have movies, radio, or television without effective storytellers?
Pop was a master at time and motion. He often taught me the easiest and fastest ways to do things. These lessons served me well during my early years as a computer programmer.
Pop added the other senses to Isaiah's eyes and ears: They have mouths but cannot taste, They have noses but they cannot smell, and They have hands but they cannot feel. Like Father Melvin, Pop tried to teach me the importance of using all of the tools we have. One of the most important is that everyone has a story.
Through the years, I have tried to develop the art of listening to the stories others have to tell. I discovered most of these stories deal with extremes. For example, the happiest times are often a wedding day or the birth of a child while the saddest times are the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. We simply do not tell stories about all of the uneventful times we went down Gause Boulevard.
What is your story?
Grace and peace in the power of the Holy Spirit.
(J. Wesley McComb is a published author and a member of Christ Episcopal Church, 1534 7th St, Slidell, 643-4531.)
© by The Slidell Independent newspaper; originally published on November 12, 2009. Used by permission of publisher and author.