“Once upon a time” … when we hear these words we know what’s coming – a story.

Our ears perk up, our brains snap to attention, and our expectation, even if it is subconscious, is an experience of connection, meaning, and imagination.

The need to share stories is part of human nature and is documented from earliest times of human existence in ancient cave paintings and engravings from all over the world.

The stories expressed by our ancient ancestors were meant, not just as a lesson for those who would read them, but as an expression of who the artists were, as a people and as individuals. These pictographs reveal, ‘This is how we live, this is what we value, these are the things that bring us to action and to rest.’

Whether stories are told through art, the written word, music, dance, or some other creative expression, the effect on those who experience them is the same.

Neuroscientists and psychologists explain that a compelling story can cause the release of the neurochemical oxytocin in the brain, affecting our beliefs, behavior, and attitudes. Basically, the release of oxytocin makes us feel good, safe, and social.

Today, in our era of extreme marketing, the most effective story-telling is treasured as a means of product branding. Advertising, including commercials, are mini-stories meant not just to move viewers emotionally, but to move them to action – to buy whatever product is being sold.

Take for example an explanation by a marketing firm of how a relatively new, young company has grabbed a several billion dollar share of the market for their product by using story: “Using short vignettes of a man having more time to cook breakfast because he cut down on shaving time or a man spending a weekend alone at a lake house, they have captured moments that make viewers connect and feel things. They keep their story simple – the picture of a simple guy with a rich life.”

Jesus clearly understood the power of story. His method of teaching with parables planted the seeds for a faith that would become the largest in the world, even though the message he was trying to impart was often contrary to the status quo of his time. He used parables filled with familiar images and characters to whom listeners could relate.

Jesus told his stories to help his listeners understand his transformative message and to enable them to follow his way to his Father – to love God above all things and to love others.

We can imagine him sitting around the campfire on a chilly night in Galilee, perhaps eating figs, bread, and honey, and relaxing after a long day of preaching when the disciples ask him, “Lord, what is the kingdom of heaven like?” He thinks about it for a minute and then replies, “Once upon a time, there was a mustard seed. It was the tiniest of seeds that God ever created. But one day, a man planted the tiny mustard seed in the soil, and it grew into the greatest of shrubs and became a great tree so that the birds of the air could take shelter in its branches and make nests in its shade.” (ref. Mark 4:30-32 or Luke 13:18-19)

Of course, Jesus didn’t use the words, “Once upon a time.” But, he did speak of something all the disciples were familiar with, the mustard seed. His simple stories resonated with the disciples and with those who listened to him preach.

It’s unlikely that most people who are listening to Jesus’ story ever thought of the mustard seed as anything more than something to plant and grow. But, through the use of story, Jesus used familiar images to help people see things in a new, richer light.

His stories were meant to nurture “Aha” moments and to deepen understanding of challenging spiritual and moral principles. He was able to foster this learning in his disciples because he was brilliant at knowing his audience. He understood that not all people are at the same level of faith, maturity, or intellect.

Our young people are being inundated with stories daily, many of which are not in their best interest spiritually, morally, or emotionally, but which can have a profound effect on their way of thinking and behaving. We need to counteract those stories with stories of our own; stories of our faith, stories of love, forgiveness, hope, and resurrection.

So, how can we follow in the storyteller footsteps of Jesus, particularly in our classrooms? In addition to using resources like RCL Benziger’s Stories of God’s Love, Blest Are We, or Be My Disciples, we can learn to be storytellers and help our children to be storytellers, as well.

1. Examine your day. Did anything happen that might make a good story? Was there a conflict, a transformation, a lesson learned? Write it down. Keep a story journal.
2. Help your students identify a story in their day. Did something happen in school? At home? While they were playing? Did they make a discovery that they could share to help others learn a lesson? Did they learn something about God?
3. Don’t underestimate the insight of children. It’s not enough to just tell the story. Encourage them to talk about any stories shared with them. What did they learn? How did the story make them feel?
4. Depending on the age of your students, spend a class letting them write or draw a parable of their own creation. Give the students the opportunity to share the parable with the class, helping them to identify the lesson the parable is meant to teach.
5. Familiarize yourself with the parables of Jesus (there are more than 40) so when students talk about a challenge they are having in their lives, you may be able to share a parable that will help them understand how they are to respond to a difficult situation (The parable of the Prodigal Son, also known as The Merciful Father, is a great story to use with teens who are at the age of wanting to break away from parents and authority figures, who often make unwise decisions, and who would benefit from a deeper understanding of forgiveness).
6. Check out the lives of the saints at RCL Benziger’s Saints Resource website. You will find a wealth of stories here.