When I was in college, one of my buddies bought a "Mega Memory" course from a late night infomercial. After we stopped laughing at him, a few of us were curious enough to try it out. For a couple of weeks after that, we gathered in my dorm room to listen to the tapes. We dreamed of never having to study again. It didn't quite work out like we had hoped.
But ... there was one technique that has stuck with me -- if you have a list to remember, you need to connect each part of that list with something you can't forget. The course taught us to, for instance, "Peg things to your body list." So, if you had to remember a grocery list of eggs, milk and bread, you'd imagine something outlandish with eggs and your toes. Then, you'd imagine something crazy or painful about milk and your calves. Then, you'd think of something connecting bread and your knees. When you get to the grocery store, you can just start moving up the parts of your body -- which you're not going to forget -- to remember what you need to buy.
The key was to create a story for each item -- the more emotional, painful or fun, the better. Stories make things memorable.
I recently read a great article about the neuroscience of storytelling. Hearing a story actually stimulates many more parts of the brain than hearing facts and figures. It suggested humans are hard-wired to connect with stories. That's why we remember stories better.
In the sales world, there is an old adage, "Facts tell, but stories sell."
Jesus was a master storyteller. Much of his teaching was in narrative form. He told parables -- sometimes shocking, but always true to life -- that helped people to better understand God and the kingdom. The stories of Jesus were so memorable that we still talk about them today -- some 2,000 years after his time on earth.
The lasting impact of stories has me wondering about the narratives that get told over and over again in our culture. I wonder if it is time we evaluate some of our shared stories to see if they are either still true or if they confirm to our common values. If they don't, maybe it's time to come up with some new stories.
For instance, one of the most common stories we tell ourselves in American culture has been called the "myth of redemptive violence." Blockbuster film after blockbuster film tells this story over and over again. It has different settings and different characters and different stakes, but it's essentially the same story -- an injustice has been perpetuated that threatens the well-being of good, innocent people. After much tension, a hero emerges who can match the strength of the bad guys and ultimately take them out with overwhelming force. After his triumph, the hero reestablishes justice and brings redemption.
We've all seen this story, whether we're watching a Jason Bourne movie, a comic book film or part of the Taken franchise, just to name a few.
The myth of redemptive violence reinforces the idea that the only way to overcome evil and violence is through greater violence. The message -- "to win, we must be stronger" -- gets seared into our minds.
But I would question if it is true. I wonder, especially for Christians, if the most important story we tell ourselves -- the one about Jesus' life, death and resurrection -- might actually say something completely different about how justice is established and redemption is brought.
Everyday we're bombarded with 30-second stories in the form of television commercials. Again and again, we're told in memorable images that the path to happiness in this life is found in a new car, a new outfit, a new relationship, a new house or a new toy. We hear this story so much, we can't imagine it's not true.
And yet, many of our lives run contrary to this narrative. We find joy and happiness in moments with our family and friends -- often when we are out in nature, far from all of our toys. Even worse, many of us have bought the story and the new car or new computer to actually fill the void in our lives we were promised they would-- only to learn they all break down and fail.
Let me suggest one more example. Many of us grew up with a story of scarcity. We don't have enough. We don't have what we need. We have to work hard and hoard our stuff because, if we don't, we'll have to go without. Many people, even after they have reached a level of comfort, still tell themselves it could all go away in an instant, and so they've got to cling tightly to their time, money or other resources.
The scarcity story might motivate hard work, but it also often diminishes generosity. It's much harder to give and help and serve others if I believe I don't have what I need.
Stories matter. The stories we tell ourselves stay with us and shape the way we think. If we're going to live in the world we all dream of, we've got to tell ourselves better stories.
These new narratives are so much better: Kindness overcomes evil, and love wins. Nothing we buy will ever make us truly happy. The vast majority of us actually have far more than we need, so we might as well be extravagantly generous. Imagine the memories these stories would make if we lived them!
Robb Ryerse is the lead pastor of Vintage Fellowship in Fayetteville. You can reach him at [email protected].
NAN Religion on 04/30/2016