EPIPHANY VI
February 12, 2023
“Telling, Teaching, Listening, Learning”
“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust;Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;for you I wait all day long.” (Psalm 25:1, 2a, 4-5)
I’ve always loved stories. Whether I hear a story told by someone about a life experience, listen to the guide at a historic landmark, or, of course, immerse myself in a book that both entertains and teaches, I’m happily engrossed. When I was a grade-school age child in Sunday School, it seemed that many of our lessons included a good number of exciting, unusual story lines. What youngster wouldn’t be intrigued by Noah’s adventure in a huge ark filled with creatures, and the enormous flood? And of course, we also learned the lesson of the rainbow and God’s promise. Then there are the many stories of Moses, whose life was filled with nonstop action. From God’s call through the burning bush, to leading the enslaved Hebrew people out of Egypt, and on to bringing the Ten Commandments to the people — there was one adventure after another.
As generations heard and then passed on their history, religious beliefs and practices, culture, and knowledge developed. How people identified themselves and their understanding of who they were was and is rooted in these histories. The Hebrews identified as those chosen by God, the keepers of the law and the promises, as they had learned from the prophets and elders. The ways, paths, and instruction of the Lord are central themes in many of the Psalms. They provide us with guidance for living in harmony, where to go for refuge, and teach us how to live in relationship with God.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry of teaching and preaching, he taught lessons and principles by telling parables. Two of the most familiar stories are told in the Gospel of Luke. The parable of the Good Samaritan (ch. 10) taught that the good, caring person who renders aid to a robbery victim might not be as expected — but rather an outsider or “different”, and we learn the nature of a true neighbor. The parable of the Prodigal Son (ch. 15) tells of the selfish, immature young man who squanders his inheritance, returns home in humiliation, and is forgiven, loved and embraced, even as repentant sinners are forgiven and welcomed into God’s presence.
It’s not that difficult to give these stories a present-day spin — someone injured in a drive-by shooting is given assistance by an undocumented individual, or a young person develops an addiction, and although they’ve caused their parents great worry and heartache, the family nonetheless supports them through rehab. Caring for an injured person, stranger or not, and continuing to love one who has disappointed and hurt you are timeless, endless reflections of God’s love for all people.
From ancient accounts of God interacting with people, to Jesus teaching lessons of compassion and care for one another, the message is clear that when the story is no longer just words, but actions, it becomes real, substantial, and part of who and what we are. This, then, is our calling: To tell the stories, and then to live them!
Listening, learning, always grateful,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers