The Power of a Story

Last night we went to Norwich to see ‘The Woman In Black’. It was excellent. It’s a play with only two actors, but I can understand why it’s been running in London’s West End for nearly forty years.

Arthur Kipps looks back thirty years… As a young solicitor he’s sent to stay in a deserted house, in an isolated part of the country, to sort through the papers of the recently deceased, reclusive, Mrs Drablow. There Kipps encounters a mysterious ‘Woman in Black’, who changes his life.

There’s humour, but also nightmares, suspense, ghosts, terror and death. It’s a good story well told.

Stories can entertain us

In school assemblies I would tell stories to make or illustrate a point, to teach moral lessons. I wouldn’t just say ‘be honest’ I would tell a story about Jenny and Paul – the problems they faced when they told lies; how things worked out well when they were honest.

In church, Dad’s formula for preaching was ‘Make a point, explain the point, illustrate the point, re-make the point, move on…’ With Dad ‘illustrate the point’ meant ‘tell a story’ – often from his own life and experience. That’s the bit I always remembered.

Stories can teach us

Two salesman friends have been talking to me about their jobs. One explained: ‘Facts tell, stories sell’. To sell a product you need to change hearts and minds; that’s often done through a story.

At our Men’s Shed, men share their opinions and prejudices, talk about their lives, tell their stories. Each life-story is certainly interesting and entertaining; each life-story is also instructive – I’ve learnt a lot. But it’s also transformative; I’m changed by listening to their stories.

As a child I heard Bible stories – about the heroes of the faith, Jesus’ wise, incisive parables, the successes and failures of the first Christians. Since then, I’ve learnt Christian doctrine, done Christian things, prayed Christian prayers; it’s the power of the stories that continue to change me.

Stories can change us.