Questionable Stories
Wolfgang Simson says that Jesus lived a very questionable life. By that he means that Jesus lived and communicated in such a way as to raise questions in people. He told stories more than He preached. He told ambiguous stories that caused people to ask Him what they were about. It was a form of filtering the audience.
How questionable are we?
How questionable is our communication?
More often than not, Christians preach. We somehow feel that if we don’t give people all the answers to life (as we understand them) we are failing them. In fact, someone who always seems to have all the answers: (a) is very annoying, (b) highlights the fact that they really don’t know what they are talking about, and (c) makes people want to run away.
Instead, we have been tasked with telling stories. We are witnesses. At its core that means simply telling people what we have experienced. Not giving everyone the answers to all their problems. Not telling people everything they are doing wrong. We should share life with people. Share our experiences and the way God has made Himself real to us. We should tell stories that reveal our perspective on life, but not clearly. Raise interest. Getting people asking for more. Don’t throw undiluted truth at people before you know if they want to hear it or not.
The fault of most “Christian” stories (books, TV, movies, etc.) is that they preach, bore and repel. Our model was a master storyteller who inspired, intrigued and had people asking for more.
How questionable are we?
How questionable is our communication?
More often than not, Christians preach. We somehow feel that if we don’t give people all the answers to life (as we understand them) we are failing them. In fact, someone who always seems to have all the answers: (a) is very annoying, (b) highlights the fact that they really don’t know what they are talking about, and (c) makes people want to run away.
Instead, we have been tasked with telling stories. We are witnesses. At its core that means simply telling people what we have experienced. Not giving everyone the answers to all their problems. Not telling people everything they are doing wrong. We should share life with people. Share our experiences and the way God has made Himself real to us. We should tell stories that reveal our perspective on life, but not clearly. Raise interest. Getting people asking for more. Don’t throw undiluted truth at people before you know if they want to hear it or not.
The fault of most “Christian” stories (books, TV, movies, etc.) is that they preach, bore and repel. Our model was a master storyteller who inspired, intrigued and had people asking for more.
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