Storytelling

Stories come in a variety of forms: poetry, song, verbal, movement, pictures, plays and even Dad Jokes:
Why do seagulls fly over the sea?  Because if they flew over the bay they’d be bagels. 
What vegetable is kind to everyone? The sweet potato. 

Seriously, stories have the ability to paint pictures in our mind, craft images and place us in the narrative that is being shared. Have you observed a person who could hold an audience in the palm of their hand as they told a compelling story? Perhaps it was during a commencement address or at an award ceremony or during a TED talk. Maybe it was storytelling on the radio or a podcast. Perhaps it was a sermon.

Stories help us cope - maybe they help us make sense of life experiences. 
Stories help us better understand others. They can help us learn about others not like us  - finding understanding and empathy.
Stories help us solve problems and try on solutions. Stories can also help us to solve problems by providing opportunities to try out different actions that might lead to different outcomes. A story might suggest a different action than we would suggest. 

As one Irish storyteller put it: “ … I think storytelling nurtures connections with people in real life. . .”

Story is at the heart of Jesus’ communication style. Whether walking dusty roads with his disciples or preaching to a crowd of thousands, Jesus used stories to share his message - He was the Master storyteller. Matthew 13:34 records, “Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories.” Jesus sought to gently open up the heart of the listener. He knew how to pinpoint the real hunger in every life. His stories captured attention, communicated meaning, and challenged people's behaviors. Jesus' parables draw us to God… #Pkes #MinM