A hush falls over a group sitting in the afternoon sun. The scrape of chairs and benches subsides. Then the silence is broken as a fervent voice begins to tell the story of creation.
When the story ends, the discussion begins: Why did God put the tree in the garden? Did Satan put himself in the garden or in the serpent? Does the Garden of Eden still exist?
The story of H
The man now welcoming those around him to come and worship their Creator knows the power of a story. H* was born in the mid-1950s in a village in the heart of the Guera, an area with almost no Christian presence. As a child, he suddenly lost his sight. He was presented to the local spiritual leader for healing, but none came.
No medical treatment could be found either, but his uncle had heard of some missionaries who ran a blind school which taught reading and writing. There H began to hear stories of Jesus; but, having been taught for many years that the gospel was corrupted, he tried to ignore them. One morning, something changed: ‘There was a missionary who preached about how, in Christ, sin has been taken away. When I heard this, it was like a hammer coming down.’
A seed had been planted in his heart. From then on, he really listened to the Bible stories and eventually put his trust in the Lord.
H grew in faith and, three years later, decided to be baptised. Now, he declared, he would preach the gospel to his family. Despite warnings that this would put his life at risk, H persisted. After four more years at school, he returned home.
At first he couldn’t discuss his faith with the local religious leaders. Instead he began by learning from them. After two years, he began to memorise and tell Bible stories. In time, 27 young men became followers of Jesus.
Persecution
However as word spread, trouble started. H suffered years of persecution. He was tied up several times. On four separate occasions he came close to being killed. The 27 young men were forced to join the army and all of them died.
Nevertheless, he kept telling people about Jesus. Today, the church in his village is 100 strong and includes many from his own family.
In 2010, H learnt about Bible storying. Some scholars estimate that the Bible is 70% stories. Yet it is not just a book full of stories. From creation to new creation, the Bible tells God’s big story. Bible storying is particularly powerful in areas with few Christians or where the Bible isn’t available in the local language. Sets of oral Bible stories are developed, covering Genesis to Revelation, and people are trained to share them. This has proved to be effective all over the world, as people discover they can learn about God and tell his story in their own language. As they engage with Bible stories, they grow in relationship with God and are transformed.
Still storytelling
Having experienced the impact of Bible stories in his own life, and having seen it in the lives of others, H knows the importance of sharing the good news of Jesus in ways people can relate to: ‘The word of God needs to be in your heart and not just on a piece of paper.’
He now works as a Storying Coordinator: training others to memorise Bible stories, set up storying groups in their communities, and in turn train others. Thus the work continues to bear fruit.
Storytelling is key to communicating the gospel in the Guera region as it’s such an oral context; information is primarily shared by word of mouth and people often prefer to learn by listening. Even those who are not Christians enjoy hearing stories in their own languages so much that they put Bible stories on their phones to listen to and share with others.
Perhaps the UK seems very removed from that storytelling context, but most people love a good story. Who could you share your favourite Bible story with today?
*Name not given for reasons of security.
