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Normalizing Imperfect Stories
What I love about cheesy Hallmark movies is that they are completely predictable. The pattern of each story is pretty much the same. In my own life, things seldom seem to go as planned. So it can feel good to spend a couple of hours in a world with no surprises, and a guaranteed happy ending. We love happy endings in stories told by nonprofit organizations or ministries, too. It feels great to read a story like, “This person was hungry, and you gave money to feed him, and now he is not hungry anymore,” or “This person was struggling, and you prayed for her, and she’s found freedom.” But…
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Do the Stories we Tell Actually Matter?
Last week I talked about a few of the differences between ethical and unethical storytelling. But does how we tell stories, and the kinds of stories we tell actually matter? Can the images and words we use actually cause harm or cultivate good? Yes, they can! The stories we tell have real impact in the real world. Maybe you’ve encountered the impact of stories, perhaps without even realizing it. For example, have you ever heard stories about someone before you met them? Maybe someone new is moving into your neighborhood, or joining your class at school, or starting at your workplace. Perhaps you’ve only heard negative things about this person:…
