Storytelling

I often start my English Language Arts "Narrative" unit with discussion about why storytelling is important. The ideas, at first, often revolve around the craft of fiction writing: students mention (and rightly so) that if you want your stories to be read, you must actually be good at telling them.

Eventually, though, we get to the idea that storytelling is actually important for much, much more than just writing fiction. Making an impression during a job interview often depends on your storytelling skills. ("Can you recall a time when you were challenged in your previous job?" OR "Describe one of your professional weaknesses"). Engaging friends in conversation often requires a certain storytelling skill too, doesn't it? We've all had those friends... or been those friends... who try to tell about an experience and then the story kind of just falls...flat. Storytelling is important.

A colleague of mine - also an English teacher - recently shared her own, true story during the high school chapel. She began it by introducing it as "the story of a girl". As she wove her story together, complete with symbols, numbers, and overt literary devices, she painted such a vivid picture of setting and characterization, that I - and the students in the room - could see it... could see her. The structure of her story drew us in, and the language she used captivated our imaginations and kept our attention completely. 

Her story was about self-doubt and self-loathing. About the lies the Enemy wants us to believe about ourselves. About thinking you are not a valuable person. In all truth, her story made me feel, at first, sick. Sick because I have felt as she felt as a teen myself, and because so many teens now feel as she felt; sick because the beauty of her words belied the ugliness of the lies she - we - believed. As her story continued, the sick feeling dissipated as I was caught up in the beauty of the narrative and suspense of the rising action. As we reached the dramatic and heart-pounding climax, where God intervenes at exactly the most crucial moment, it was all I could do to keep from weeping - or from gasping in wonder. Or from laughing, in joy, aloud. The room was silent and everyone listened intently. Then as she described, with a wry humour and even some imagined conversations, the process of transformation and affirmation God took her through, we were right there with her. 

She just told us a story.  That's all. A true story, but a story nonetheless. But the way she told it was extraordinary enough to demand the rapt attention of a full room of high school students, and to be potentially life changing for the students who most needed to hear the beautiful truth she presented.  

As I listened to some students talking about it later, I thought - this is why storytelling matters. Because lives can be changed when they hear - and understand -  and believe - the right story.