Chapter 9 - Stories
…We talk about losing ourselves in a good book… in the same way, I think that powerful stories immerse us in the reality of the person sharing them…
Acts 1:8
Jesus said, ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
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Stories that changed the world:
The stories in this book are an imaginative reconstruction of the testimonies that some of the original disciples would have shared. They witnessed to what they had experienced and their stories that changed the world.
I'm always staggered when I look back and think about the explosion of the growth of the early Church. If you look at what started from this small group of frightened and confused fishermen, it does not seem possible.
This was a group of disciples that had proved over and over again that they just didn’t get it. A group that deserted Jesus in his darkest hour, and where their leader denied even knowing him. A group that was hiding in an upper room, afraid of being caught, afraid of being killed. And then, a short time later this same group were boldly proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah, taking on the Jewish authorities, standing up for what they had witnessed, and sticking to their stories even when they were being horribly tortured and executed.
Somehow from this beaten and dispirited group of people, this movement Jesus started, this movement which looked like it would disintegrate after he was killed, this movement of nobodies, is dramatically reborn.
And in a few short years, the followers of the way of Jesus, these people called Christians, have grown in number and have spread throughout the known world; from just over 120 women and men to millions; from a group of mainly artisan Jews huddled together praying in Jerusalem, to people of all races and backgrounds - male and female, slave and free, soldier and civilian, aristocrat and artisan, Greek and Jew. A combination of very different people, who would never have mixed in this way before, brought together to follow the way of Jesus.
All this from a movement started by the son of a poor carpenter, who taught for a few short years and died a cruel death in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire, crucified like so many tens of thousands before him and afterwards. A nobody. But a nobody that has more written about him than many kings and emperors of his time.
John Ortberg[1] writes:
If someone’s legacy will outlast their life, it usually becomes apparent when they die. On the day when Alexander the Great or Caesar Augustus or Napoleon or Socrates or Mohammad died, their reputations were immense. On the day after Jesus’ death it looked as if whatever small mark he left on the world would rapidly disappear. Instead, his impact on human history has been unparalleled.
His life and teaching simply drew people to follow him. He made history by starting in a humble place, in a spirit of love and acceptance, and allowing each person space to respond. He deliberately placed himself on a collision course with Rome, where he would have been crushed like a gnat. And he was crushed.
And yet…
Jesus’ vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history like the tail of a comet, bringing his inspiration to influence art, science, government, medicine, and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope.
Maybe Jesus succeeded because of timing.
Maybe he was just a sympathetic figure that happened to come along when Roman infrastructure was good and Greek philosophy was undermining the gods, when paganism was dying and social systems were collapsing, when stability was down, and anxiety was up, and gullibility was strong, and… it was just dumb luck.
Maybe Jesus was a kind, simple, innocent soul with a good mom and a knack for catchy sayings who showed up in the right place at the right time.
Maybe his place in history is a remarkable accident.
But maybe it isn’t.
When you stand back and look at the growth in this extraordinary movement, the transformation in the lives of the original disciples, the transformation in the lives of so many people since that time, and the impact it has had through the millennia, it is truly amazing.
The leaders in the early church weren’t educated, and the religious elite recognised that[2]. Inspired, emboldened and equipped by the Holy Spirit, the disciples witnessed to what they had seen. They shared their stories of the time they spent with Jesus, their stories of what he taught and did, and their stories of encounters with the risen Christ.
Facts and information are important, but stories inspire us and move us to action; stories can challenge our worldview and open us up to new possibilities.
Over the centuries since, followers of Jesus have continued to share their stories; their testimonies of how they have encountered God at work in their lives.
It was a story that first inspired me to look into Christianity for myself…
As a young atheist studying engineering and having a love of science, religion belonged in the past; church was a club for people that wanted to believe that sort of thing, and ‘religion’ was not for me. I didn’t grow up in a churchgoing family, didn’t attend a church school, and I remember thinking that church and church services were bizarre affairs. I felt the church was completely irrelevant in today’s world.
After I’d graduated, I was looking for a book to read and picked up one that had been given to me about 18 months earlier. I thought it was a science fiction book (my preferred reading at the time), but it was a different sort of story.
The book was called ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’, and it was the story of a country pastor, David Wilkerson, who in 1958 felt God calling him to go and work among the street gangs of New York City. He went into places that the police refused to go, and profoundly impacted the lives of the young gang members there, helping them turn away from drugs and violence.
It was a story about a man of great faith, who should have been killed within minutes of setting foot in these areas, but something supernatural was at work through him to bring about a massive change in the lives of the young people in those gangs.
I realised there was a God who was at work through those that would work with him, and that he was building this dynamic movement that was bringing real hope and change in the world.
I remember thinking it would be great to be part of a movement like that, so I went to a local church to learn more. It was just as bizarre as I’d thought; standing up and sitting down at different times, singing hymns, interminable prayers, strange robes on the priest, etc.
So, I decided again that religion was not for me. However, I was curious about my new discovery of God, and particularly about Jesus. For about thirteen years, I read various Christian books and occasionally attended church (just to confirm that it wasn’t for me). Then one day, I was sharing a beer with a new vicar in our area, and he invited me on a course he was running to help people explore the Christian faith.
The course helped to resolve various misunderstandings I had about church and faith and gave me a clearer picture of what Christianity, the dynamic movement, was truly about. My scientific mind welcomed how the evidence was presented on the course; it gave a structured foundation for understanding. However, looking back, I recognise that it was the many stories told throughout the course that moved me. Whether that was personal stories shared by the presenters or stories of other people's experiences through the centuries.
There’s something compelling about stories. For example, one of our churches is exploring what we can do to help with the Afghan crisis. The news occasionally covers the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, so we were aware of it. But what moved us into action was the tragic personal story of an Afghan refugee who shared the plight of her parents and siblings stuck in the country.
General information about something raises awareness, but a personal testimony makes it real and present. We talk about losing ourselves in a good book… in the same way, I think that powerful stories immerse us in the reality of the person sharing them. And powerful stories about God and his interaction with the world have a way of immersing us in that reality… another way of immersing ourselves in the presence of God[3].
It was the stories, the testimonies of so many people on that course, that moved me to a place of being vulnerable enough to be open to the Holy Spirit and come to know the love of God for myself.
We can look out of the window and see the trees swaying and leaves being blown around, and conclude that the evidence says it’s windy outside. But it is only when we step outside that we can feel the wind for ourselves. It was one thing for me to hear the stories and understand the evidence for Jesus, but something else to experience the touch of God’s love personally. When you know and experience His unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness through the Holy Spirit, it is life-transforming.
But the church's mission is about far more than individual transformation; it is about world transformation. Real and lasting change takes time, takes people working together, and can take generations. This sort of change is the focus of the dynamic revolutionary movement that Jesus started. This is the focus of his church.
Sometimes, in the challenges and busyness of life, we forget the bigger picture. To paraphrase J John:
We are part of a global enterprise; we have outlets in nearly every country in the world
We run Hospitals, Hospices, Homeless shelters and Orphanages. We feed the hungry, do marriage work, offer parenting support, debt advice, and bereavement support.
We support countries and regions that have been badly hit by natural disasters, and work for justice and reconciliation in areas of conflict.
We run educational programmes around the world… We founded over 4,700 schools in the UK alone.
We bring communities together, strengthening old friendships and making new ones
In summary, we care for people from birth to death, and in between help them become all that God calls them to be
This is Church
Transforming the world is a huge task, and it takes a big team working together over generations. We may gather on a Sunday, but what church is truly about happens outside our church buildings.
The church is more relevant in the world today than it has ever been. The lawyer and environmental advocate Gus Speth said,
“I used to think that the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems...
But I was wrong….
The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”
And those problems of selfishness, greed and apathy are behind many of the other problems in the world, not just the environmental ones.
Addressing those problems and others like them (for example: bitterness, fear, and unforgiveness) is only possible through a change of heart.
You can’t legislate for that, you can’t force it to happen, and you can’t buy it. All the money in the world won’t solve those problems... All the money in the world won’t bring about a change of heart.
God knows that the root cause of the problems of this world is in our hearts. So, he sets up this movement to share his love and change hearts. He works in and through ordinary people, helping them to become all that he’s calling them to be… so that they, in turn, can reach out to help those in need. And as they do their part to help bring change, their hearts continue to grow too.
The scale of the problems in our world might seem insurmountable, but we are not alone. We are part of an army of billions working around the world, in the power of the Holy Spirit, making a difference one life at a time.
As Mother Teresa said, “Don’t worry about the numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
Despite the many times in history that the church has got things badly wrong (and despite the many times we still get it wrong today), God continues to work with those that will work with him… to bring light and hope to a world of darkness and despair.
And as lives are transformed, new stories of the experiences of the followers of Jesus continue to be written.
Thoughts/questions for reflection:
Does the idea of the church as an agent for change match your experience?
What stories have you heard of the church making a difference in the way that’s described in this chapter?
We are all shaped by the stories we’ve heard and the stories we tell ourselves.
If you look back on your life, who have been the key people, and what have been the events, books, videos or podcasts that have shaped your worldview and understanding?
Have there been significant turning points, times when you have had to re-think things that you thought you knew? What were they?
Who are the people you are most grateful to for helping you become who you are today?
Stories of encounters with Jesus are still being written today.
Have you had moments when you have sensed God working in your life?
How did that feel?If you were to share your story, your encounter with Jesus/the Holy Spirit, what would you say?
What’s your story?
If you are reading this book with a group, you might like to share your stories with one another.
A prayer to finish with:
Loving Father,
We thank you for the stories that were shared by those that followed your Son.
Thank you for their courage in witnessing to the world,
and thank you for all the generations that followed who have shared their stories.
Thank you for the stories that have shaped our lives,
for the people we have journeyed with,
and for all who have shared your love with us.
Help us, Lord, to follow your Son, Jesus Christ.
Help us to be open enough to receive
more of the love you long to pour into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
So that we would grow to become all that you call us to be,
and, as we go,
share our stories,
and your love,
and do our part to help transform our world.
Amen
[1] John Ortberg, ‘Who is this man? The unpredictable impact of the inescapable Jesus’
[2] Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
[3] See the notes on the Greek word βαπτίζω (baptizō), Chapter 6: background note 4