I recently added a books widget from GuruLib (check out my “Books I’m Reading” section in my sidebar). And one of the books I note that I’m reading is Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis by Michael Ward. I heard about the book from Justin Taylor’s blog, and the few pages I’ve read so far are fascinating.
In starting this book, I stumbled over a quote which has grabbed my attention. As a father of four daughters, the oldest being 4 (and a half), and as one who enjoys a good tale, I found this quote equally insightful and inspiring. It is from the contemporary British philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre from his book After Virtue:
It is through hearing stories about wicked stepmothers, lost children, good but misguided kings, wolves that suckle twin boys, youngest sons who receive no inheritance but must make their own way in the world, and eldest sons who waste their inheritance on riotous living and go into exile to live with the swine, that children learn or mislearn both what a child and what a parent is, what the cast of characters may be in the drama into which they have been born and what the ways of the world are. ¹
What do you think? I think he is making an important point, and stories are more important than we realize.
¹ Ward quotes a portion of this quote on pg. 3 in his book citing After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (London: Duckworth, 1985), pg. 216. My longer quote comes from a chapter by MacIntyre entitled “The Virtues, The Unity of a Human Life, and the Concept of a Tradition” in the book Memory, Identity, Community: The Idea of Narrative in the Human Sciences edited by Lewis and Sandra Hinchman (State University of New York Press: 1997) found with Google Book Search.
The question goes deeper and makes me ask, are stories simply a part of our pragmatic methods used in our culture to raise children and to teach that which is right or is there a significant aspect of human nature that causes us to relate life lessons and virtues (or lack thereof) though retelling of stories.
Christ obviously understood the impact of stories whichevident in his use of parables. Perhaps it is easier to relate lessons that total strangers have learned, no matter how fantastic, than to try to force these lesson into our own experience without the advantage of experiencing the special circumstances involved.
On the flip side of this, it is interesting how if there is a true life event that takes place in our lives, relating the incident becomes a very popular thing to do. People will crowd to hear a shocking testimonial, and the testimonial giver tends to take every opportunity he gets to relate the events of his experience. If the testimonial is shocking enough everyone who hears it will be eager to pass it on when they have the opportunity. Everyone wants to tell of their or of their friends true life horror, comedy or tragedy. This is why shows like Rescue 911 or Americas Funniest Home Videos have been popular in the past.
I tend to think stories are natural and part of out nature. I think it has to do with our humanness. People often compartmentalize and divide truth and experience. We try to fill our head with abstract facts when in reality, everything is interrelated. We often focus on our spiritual life as if it is just a part of our whole being. No, we are an entire and whole being and spiritual we must completely be. Which means, as my pastor says, we can drink a glass of Orange Juice in a spiritual way. Enjoying this earth as a gift from and reflection of our Maker, is what we were made to do, in one sense. So stories fill facts with flesh and make them real. Kids need to see morality and abstract truths lived out. Stories do that whether we recognize it or not.
Thanks for your thoughts, it helps spur mine further.
Bob