A courageous woman dousing a man’s head with perfume; a conniving betrayer; a feast; jealous officials; an angry mob and disappointing friends; the appearance of law enforcement; a streaker; a humiliation ritual and taunting soldiers; brave women; a crucifixion and mysterious tomb. The Palm Sunday lectionary passage (Mark 14:1-15:47) is thick with drama. The long narrative stands out among ancient tales for its detail and cohesiveness. Before anything else, it is great storytelling.
Why have we humans always told stories? It’s not just because they entertain us or because we want to pass on history. We tell stories because stories change us. The characters and lives we come to know through story form us into certain kinds of people. Story shows us who to be.
This past week I heard the story of a man who’d been rescued and taken in as a child when he was orphaned and threatened by war. As a grown man he was curious why certain people risked so much, risked their own lives, to take in and protect children like him. No one had to do this. So as a man, he researched the question…. {Read remainder of column on Patheos HERE.}