this past weekend i was so reminded about the amazing things we find in a story. february 4-6th was warmth in winter, it's the biggest event for the youth of the tennessee conference of the umc (basically all of middle tennessee) some 2,500 youth. ray buckley, our speaker, is a native american united methodist living in alaska. true to his heritage he spoke to us all through the stories of his people and his life. sermons were story telling sessions with the last five minutes left for tying together for those of us too stupid to figure our the meanings sooner.
listening to ray i was inspired to think of the many stories that we meet and hear on a daily basis. st. benedict would say to show hospitality to all as you will find Christ in them. i am reminded by ray that in listening to the stories of my youth, co-workers, random people, etc. if i am listening with my heart i shall find Christ. i like how ray has spelled it out..
In my Tlingit and Lakota native tradition, the tribal storytellers were given specific stories to tell because the stories already reflected their lives. As the storyteller’s life and experience imbued a particular story, the community gave them a responsibility to uphold and share that story. Near the end of life, a storyteller might choose another member of the tribe and say, “Here is my story, and I give it to you to keep it alive.”
now, expecting wonderfully framed stories all the time would be silly. but this is where it seems to come into a spiritual practice of hospitality, keeping oneself open to find Christ in the stories we meet.
