Holy Listening and Thankful Storytelling

Imagine that someone has sat you down, perhaps a new friend, and says so ‘tell me your life story’. Where do you start and what do you say? What can you share; what do you want to share? How do you present yourself to another, do you re-write yourself as a hero, or perhaps a victim:  is your life a comedy or a tragedy, or is it too boring so that you need to invent some better details? Are you afraid that you will be judged or are you ashamed of details in your past? Perhaps not, perhaps your story is an acceptable one, one that lives up to so called societal expectations. Well, have a think about your life-story so far.

The demoniac (one possessed by many demons) in Luke’s Gospel 8:26-39 has cause to cast himself as a victim. His identity obliterated by his occupiers, outcast, living in the tombs, chained up for his own safety, naked and self-harming. When Jesus meets this man he can’t even address him personally, it is the demons he has to speak to. This extreme example of somebody who has lost his identity can help us to reflect upon situations in modern life that cause us to be exiled, outcast, cut off, self-harming or taking part in self-destructive behaviour. It may seem extreme, but being disconnected from our true identity as persons made in the image of God is widespread. Many of us participate regularly in self-destructive behaviour and mental illness can cause all sorts of self-harming, suffering and isolation. We may even wish to consider the sorts of activities that almost seem to possess us, take over and control us. How in control of your own destiny do you feel? Are you really making the choices in your life?

The demoniac is restored to himself, given back his identity by Jesus. Jesus ‘recalls’ him to himself, gives him back his freedom and control over his own life. Jesus tells the demoniac to ‘go and tell what God has done for him’.

If we return to thinking about our own life stories; I want you to think about where God turns up in your story. How has God’s presence in your life changed the way you tell the story?

The demoniac could quiet legitimately tell his story by focussing on himself as a victim; he could tell everyone about everything that he suffered, the exile, the self-harm, the being prisoner etc. Yet, what he is told to do is to share his story by telling others about what God has done for him. This transforms his story and his identity, he is not a victim, but one made whole by a God who loves him.

Christian communities should ideally be places where people can tell their personal stories to one another, without fear of judgment or condemnation, without a sense of shame. We should be able to be witnesses to each other of how God has acted in our lives for the good.

Perhaps in the traditional model an individual comes to the priest and literally confesses, tells their story, which so often includes sin and wrongdoing and is forgiven. But I think what is better is if we become the sort of community where it is possible that we all become such generous listeners, holy listeners who can be trusted with life stories, because we all know and recognise our dependence upon God. It takes risk and faith in God to develop a community like that. But, unless we can really share with one another, talking in trust and listening in love, we cannot be that community. So, I want to encourage you to be holy listeners and thankful stories-tellers. Where God is at the centre of our lives; and where we do no judge or condemn, but where we in love listen and rejoice at what God does in every life. None of us is really a hero or a victim; we are God’s beloved sinners and sinned against. But made whole by the love of God in Christ Jesus: let’s have the courage to tell one another how God has made us whole.

Luke 8.26-39

Then they (Jesus and his disciples) arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.     Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.         

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.