| Stories have played a major role in all our lives. | | | | Most stories have some entertainment or |
| When we were small children we looked forward | | | | educational value. The advent of the internet has |
| to bedtime when we would hear a story from a | | | | brought us the genre of urban myths. People's |
| parent. If we were not so lucky, we would hear a | | | | need to believe things is often proven by the |
| story at school. Those of us who went to | | | | circulation of the most absurd stories, such as the |
| Sunday school heard stories from the Bible that | | | | one about the rapist who got into the car of a |
| were meant to educate us, but often scared us | | | | lady who was putting petrol into her car, or the |
| into submission. Sadly the different layers of the | | | | various versions of the very ill children whose |
| Bible stories are hardly ever explained to us. | | | | parents need money for emergency treatment. |
| Emanuel Swedenborg provided interesting spiritual | | | | A very useful website to get to the truth of |
| explanations of various Bible stories. Refer to my | | | | these myths can be found on my blog. We would |
| blog for a link to the website. | | | | do each other a favour by first researching even |
| Another fascinating website that sheds a different | | | | the most heart rending story before we circulate |
| light on the hidden meanings of the stories in the | | | | them. |
| Bible is one where the author claims that none of | | | | Stories enable us to look inward and understand |
| the stories in the Bible are real or actually | | | | story patterns and characters that intertwine with |
| happened. Refer to my blog for a link to the | | | | the hard-to perceive forces that shape our lives. |
| website. | | | | The stories also enable us to look outward, |
| And by the way, it is not a sin to read these | | | | because story-threads join us to a larger cultural |
| websites and then decide for yourself what you | | | | fabric. The most important stories may be those |
| want to believe. God gave you a mind so that | | | | we share with family and friends. All stories help |
| you can use it to decide what is good for you. | | | | preserve memory, explain our present, and |
| Remember that what is good for you is not | | | | imagine our future. Stories that evolve across |
| necessarily good for other people, and it is not for | | | | time bind individuals to families and families to |
| us to judge one another. | | | | society, defining our collective values, beliefs and |
| We all grew up with the tales of the brothers | | | | goals. |
| Grimm. Those tales are seen today as fairytales | | | | Stories also connect us to the eternal Source of |
| for children, but they were originally meant for | | | | creativity. Professional writers know that the |
| adults because each one of them contain a lesson | | | | muse is a combination of discipline and inspiration. |
| that is much deeper than what a child would hear. | | | | That inspiration comes from tuning into another |
| Each one of these tales is a metaphor that | | | | dimension that contains all the stories that we |
| explains a facet of life. | | | | could possibly want ' from Tolstoy's War and |
| And of course we are told stories every day on | | | | Peace to the Harry Potter saga to all the Bible |
| television. The soap operas are not real at all, but | | | | stories. |
| for some people they are a window into the lives | | | | Here are two lovely short stories that convey |
| of an imagined family. There are also various | | | | lessons to us in a thoughtful manner. |
| series that make characters familiar to us and we | | | | The first one is about the young boy that wanted |
| learn what to expect of the characters, like the | | | | to become the pupil of an old priest. The priest |
| heroes in science fiction or action movies. We all | | | | looked in the eyes of the boy and realised that |
| have our favourite actors and actresses, because | | | | the boy was not going to live long. He decided to |
| they are masters at weaving a web that we | | | | send the boy back to his family to die, but told |
| want to believe. Sometimes these soap operas | | | | the boy to come back the next summer. |
| are used for edutainment (a combination of | | | | A year later the boy was back, lively and happy. |
| education and entertainment) to convey | | | | The priest looked at the boy in astonishment and |
| important information on health or civil issues, and | | | | realised that the boy was not going to die for a |
| this is more powerful than for example providing | | | | very long time. Never questioning what he initially |
| written material to people that have difficulty | | | | saw in the eyes of the boy, he asked the boy to |
| reading, or providing verbal warnings to people | | | | explain to him in detail what had happened during |
| that did not have the good sense to heed such | | | | the previous year. |
| warnings. | | | | The boy told the priest how, on his way home, |
| Stories are part of many different traditions. The | | | | he saw a colony of ants trapped on some high |
| stories of the Grimm brothers and comic | | | | ground in the river. The boy found a long stick |
| characters such as Asterix and Tintin originated in | | | | and held it over the river so that the ants could |
| Europe. | | | | walk on the stick to dry land. His arms got very |
| There are also the tales of the Arabian nights | | | | tired, but he held the stick in place until the very |
| that reflect ancient life in the Middle East. The | | | | last ant had reached dry land. The boy then |
| Arabian Nights is a collection of Persian, Arab and | | | | described the rest of the journey, but the priest |
| Indian folk tales that were handed down through | | | | was no longer listening. He had realised that that |
| the centuries. Legend has it that a beautiful lady | | | | one single act had wiped out all the bad karma |
| called Scheherazade had to tell a murderous | | | | that the boy had accumulated in previous lives. |
| prince a story each night to prevent the prince | | | | That was why the boy was no longer going to |
| from killing her. The result is a beautiful collection | | | | die young. |
| of stories including the famous ones about Sinbad | | | | The second story is about two priests that were |
| the sailor and Aladdin. | | | | travelling together on foot. They came to a river |
| The Hassidic Jews have their own traditional | | | | crossing where a woman was standing, looking |
| stories. One of the disciples of the great Rabbi | | | | frightened. Brother Benjamin asked her: "Why are |
| Baal Shem Tov was lame. One day, this disciple | | | | you looking so frightened? Can we help you?" |
| was asked to tell a story about his master. He | | | | "I need to get to the other side of the river", she |
| began to tell how the Baal Shem Tov used to | | | | said, "but I can't swim and am frightened that the |
| leap and dance when he prayed. The disciple | | | | water will take me." |
| became so engrossed in his story that he stood | | | | "I can help you," said Brother Benjamin. The |
| up, and began to leap and dance as his master | | | | woman got onto his back and they waded to the |
| used to. At that moment, he was cured of his | | | | other side. She thanked him and walked away. |
| lameness, and became completely healthy. There | | | | The two priests walked in silence for the next |
| is a beautiful story called Let the story choose | | | | two hours. Brother Benjamin eventually realised |
| me that explains the healing value of stories. | | | | that Brother John was silent because he was |
| Refer to my blog for a link to the website. | | | | angry. |
| On the African continent stories often feature | | | | "You are very quiet, Brother John? Is something |
| talking animals that convey important lessons in | | | | bothering you?" Brother Benjamin asked. |
| life. Refer to my blog for a link to a website with | | | | "Is something bothering me! You swore a vow of |
| examples of these tales. | | | | chastity! You promised never to touch a woman! |
| Why are stories so important to us? We use | | | | And there you did not just touch a woman! You |
| stories to share experiences, understand each | | | | carried her on your back in a most indecent |
| other and create a sense of community. Parents | | | | manner! Shame on you. Shame on you!" Brother |
| use stories to bond with their children. Sages use | | | | John said. |
| stories to convey important life lessons and | | | | Brother Benjamin stopped walking and looked at |
| explain customs and values. People express | | | | Brother John. |
| wisdom by means of a story. Stories are used to | | | | "Brother John," he said. "I put the woman down |
| break down barriers within and between groups. | | | | hours ago. Why are you still carrying her? |