We should not overlook the important means that Jesus often used to communicate truth: storytelling.
If you tell a man he should be forgiving, you might hear him say, “Yeah, right. Like I’ve never heard that before.” Most people have heard but haven’t changed. That’s why a book titled “Forgiveness” is not likely to sell very well.
But if you were to offer a book titled “I Wanted to Kill Him,” you’ve tapped an emotion that many people have. Then, if you tell a story that takes readers on an emotional journey where they experience the consequence of unforgiveness, they’ll tell you how important forgiveness is. You won’t have to tell them.
Storytelling is a means to slip in the back door when you’d never be admitted at the front. It’s being “wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” because you’re letting readers draw their own conclusions about the story’s meaning. Interestingly, because readers aren’t feeling pressured to change, they are more likely to change their behavior.
Doesn’t this add meaning to our mantra: “Show, Don’t Tell”?
