Timeless Treasures Collection
  • Treasure Blog
  • Book Descriptions
  • About the author
  • People Say. . .
  • Contact
  • Store

THE STORY: CREATOR OF SOCIETY

10/19/2010

2 Comments

 
That’s a strong statement, don’t you think?
But is it true?

It doesn’t matter
whether a society’s stories are truth or fiction.
When well told, they have unusual power.
For good
or for evil.
Why else would God want the Israelites to pile stones
to remind them to keep repeating the stories
of what happened at a particular location?
The retelling keeps the event alive
—in the teller as well as the hearer.

The stories pass on,
from generation to generation,
the heart foundation
for the beliefs and values of a society.

The stories of a society set its boundaries,
define its goals,
carve the values of that society
deep in the heart
of its people.

What stories do you remember from your childhood?
How did they influence your beliefs, your values, your behavior?

Have our stories as a society changed over the years?
At our tables,
in our classrooms,
on our television shows,
in our movies,
and our books?

Have these changes re-formed our society?

Maybe we need different stories,
ones that inspire us to look beyond this earth,
beyond ourselves.

If you’d like to read a Biblical account of using stones
as reminders to tell stories,
look in Joshua 4:1-7.
Here’s  a bit from verse 6 and 7 for you:
“In the future, when your children ask you,
‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that . . .”

Please make your public comments at the TOP OF THIS BLOG. 
Private comments can be made at the "Contact Us" tab.


2 Comments
Debbie
10/20/2010 07:44:43 am

The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.
Abraham Lincoln
...The same can be said of society! Nicely stated!

Reply
Air Jordan link
2/23/2011 09:35:00 pm

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author/Speaker

    Arlene Pinkley Ussery shares insights and research concerning  the power of the story to change values of individuals and societies. Relying on research, she shows how good literature improves readers relationships, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  From her experience of living in Israel and studying the Bible, history, and culture, she deepens readers understanding of Biblical times. Her stories challenge and comfort.

    Archives

    June 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    March 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Anger
    Appreciation
    Arlene'sstories
    Balance In Life
    Change
    Changing Our World
    Dealing With Loss
    Despair
    Experiment
    Impacting Society
    Joel's Wife
    Literature
    Self Imposed Traps
    Self-Imposed Traps
    Sleep
    Speaking Topics
    Stories
    Stress
    Success
    The Value Of Novels
    Transformed In Bethany
    Trip To The Holy Land

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from LizMarie_AK, ohhhbetty, snappybex, Bhernandez, RJ Bailey, Stig Nygaard, kbowenwriter, USDAgov, USDAgov, sarboo, *_*