Stories Part 1
April 25, 2025
Stories Part 1
Join us for this week’s Daily Reflections on “Stories.”
Stories are the soul of life. They make meaning out of our experiences and inspire us. They teach us about life and all its aspects. They give voice to the voiceless and courage to the weak. Stories have surprises, twists, lessons, and epiphanies. They entertain with suspense, intrigue, and taboo. They are dark and light. Stories tell us why. But they also have very private meaning for us.
Recently, we discussed with dear ICB friends how, during the pandemic, stories entertained us on Netflix, Prime, Paramount, Brit box, and more — stories like Outlander, A Place to Call Home, Reacher, Yellowstone, and hundreds of others. We speculated on why such stories still captivate us even now that we are not on lockdown. They said that what keeps them involved in a story is the hope that, even though characters make mistakes, undergo painful struggles, commit crimes, and are victims of the unspeakable, their beautiful aspects still emerge.
But we all agreed that another more important aspect keeps us involved in the story. It is the hope that the characters, even the worst of them, will be redeemed — will find integration — will see the light, will heal, will find their way. Of course, we hope all the troubles in the stories will be resolved, but even more, we want the characters to “improve” — to integrate instead of disintegrate.
Why do we want the people in stories to get better, improve, see the light, learn lessons, heal, take their punishments, find their love, enjoy their loves, forgive and receive forgiveness, find happiness, succeed against all odds, avenge, and find redemption? Maybe the answer is that those are the hopes that many of us have for ourselves.
The ancient Greeks and Romans also knew the value of stories: the theater was a central part of the community and drew people from all walks of life. The human condition is ancient: human beings love theatrical plays and the stories behind them because they are the vehicles by which we inspect our feelings and understand the infinite range of human predicament and emotion. By proxy, we experience the things we might not experience in our own lives but want to understand, to be acquainted with, and to experience in some way.
The story helps us claim more of our humanity and to heal many manifestations of the human condition, such as loneliness, hatred, longing, searching, desire for union with the beloved, and so much more. Jesus knew the power of stories and used them as containers to explain truth. His parables give us imagery and symbols that put the highest of spiritual concepts into real life.
Spiritual practice: Consider your favorite story, and however nonsensical it seems, compare it with the story of your life. Are there any common themes?
Self-inquiry: Why would you want anyone in a story to get away with murder?
Dear God,
For redemption in stories and in life, I pray. Amen
