Just because it looks ridiculous doesn't mean it is.

So at school some of us have been throwing around the idea of Modern parables. Most searches into this are full of unoriginal content where the shepard who loses a sheep is a farmer who loses a cow and rides around on his John Deere looking for him. Not to disparage the people who put their effort into making these stories told by a guy in the Middle East a couple of millenia ago more relevant, but I think the whole point of parables is that they help to elucidate difficult ideas using culturally relevant symbols. Also they make us think about things differently than we normally would. 

The only problem is that when you hear the same story over and over again you know how it ends. I have a friend that, given the right set of triggers will always tell the same story. Mention the summer camp we used to work at...there's the time he got into a super soaker fight or something about when we wrestled and it got out of hand. Travelling with him? That leads to the story of a Beergarden and some train conductors                                                           that were conspiring against us.


I know that he tells these stories to reaffirm and to remember, which is a great way to strengthen a friendship and remind us of where we came from. But if all we ever do is rehash the "good ole' days our friendship stagnates.  That same situation creates problems if we don't think about new ways to tell old stories in our working out what's in the Bible. When I hear the story of the Good Samaritian I know it by heart. It doesn't make me ask questions as much anymore because it's familiar.  In Church people sing different songs along with old ones and they will tell you that they love new songs because when you are working through learning something, you are putting more effort into understanding what you're learning. At home I (read 'my wife') like to change around the layout of rooms because there is a freshness that is invigorating.  I still have all the same stuff, but looking at things in a new way makes me appreciate them again. Somehow we seem to feel that telling new parables doesn't fall into the same categories as new songs or new liturgies or new sermons, but that shouldn't be so

Whoa whoa whoa...you can't change parables they're in  the BIBLE! To those of you who thought this.....the gentlest thing I can say is of course not you idiot. These ideas are supposed to be ways of making you think about things differently and not about thinking totally differently. I don't want my words added to the canon, just for people to let stories reinvigorate them.

So here goes...

The Kingdom of God is like a Segway. Upon first seeing it you have a sneaking suspicion that it is interesting and confusing. When you first see a person using it you are struck by how profoundly ridiculous they look. If you ever take the time to try it out (which you are generally unwilling to do because you do not want to look both ridiculous and like you have no idea how it works) you find that it runs counter to every natural instinct you have. How is it that by leaning forward and inviting a quick meeting between your teeth and the pavement you can do something good like get from point A to point B? And really, aren't you getting where you need to go jsut fine already? Walking seems to be something that you're able to do quite well on your own thank you very much. But then a funny thing happens, you realize it works. People get where they want to go faster and exerting less energy. The balance and motions needed are like riding a bike and once you've got it you become an annoying proponent of how Segways can make everyones life easier. Some people try it and get it, while others never can get over the loss of pride required to become associated with Mall cops or are scared because the company chairman died on one. Those that do use them though swear by it and are convinced that everyone will someday own one or wish they did, even if that day hasn't come yet.


Lets keep doing this,
Jesse