Power of Story

Early in September I attended a Convocation at my church.  The guest speaker was Philip Gulley.  During the Sunday evening session, he was asked about the role of story in a sermon.  He responded that he loves stories, and he can sense their impact on his congregation.  A story allows him to ease into an issue (my words, not his).

For example, rather than just expressing his views about homosexuality, he will tell a story about his little brother, and his experiences.  People have friends and family who have dealt with the same issues, so approaching the issue through a story can reach more open minds.

I get that.  It is through relationship that we come closest to people, and I wonder if it is through relationship that we come closest to having the eyes of God.  When we can see an issue through our experience with it, we can see it, perhaps, the way God sees it.

Are we ever really objective?  Is God ever really objective?

Gulley reminded us that Jesus taught through story: we should take a hint from that.