From the beginning of the human race stories have been used—by priests, by bards, by medicine men—as magic instruments of healing, of teaching, as a means of helping people come to terms with the fact that they continually have to face insoluble problems and unbearable realities.
Joan Aiken
Going and Going
7 hours ago
Stories are also a way of bonding people together, if shared in the right way -- as in around the fireside after a hard day's work. They are also blessed respites from reality, and telling and hearing them are means of having fun.
ReplyDeleteTo say nothing of how being able to write or tell good fiction shows something of man being created in God's image.
Very true, Lynn. I am trying to convince our mutual friend Cindy to write an official autobiography covering her ecclesiastical journey, the pitfalls and the blessings. I was very moved by her story in the comment thread on another blog.
ReplyDeleteI used to love the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and the stories that were sent in to the pro-life magazine I edited many years ago for potential publication. These stories can be so uplifting and encouraging to folks who are going through hard times.