Narrative Living

I attended a conference at Fuller today called "Redeeming Difficult Hope: Working with Diverse Populations" and one of the lectures was called "Community Narratives and Personal Stories: A Framework for Thinking About the Art of Social and Individual Change." I suppose the reason I attended the conference is because I have recently been discovering the importance of developing "my story." But before I begin I want to clarify what is meant by narrative, at least as proscribed by Dr. Rappaport.

A story is a personal account while a narrative takes place in a community. Narratives occur all the time. It is our way of looking at the world. Psychological research has shown that eyewitnesses will often manufacture details because they have a certain script for events ( i.e. saying you saw a person wearing a sweater when it's cold out, although they in fact weren't). Another example given was that when we look at artwork it often invokes the need to tell a story. What was happening in this picture? By learning about the subjects in the art we can develop a story behind it. We often do this automatically without even thinking about it.

Narratives are also a way of looking at communities. They are composed of stereotypes, scripts, generalizations, and values. The example given in the lecture was that if we were to write a story about a housing project we would probably talk about drug use, blacks, and gangs. However, if we were to write a story on suburban neighborhoods we might write about innocent children, honest living, and perhaps a scandal or two of adultery. But we have narratives about communities that shape the way we think about things.

So what types of communities are there? Of course there are neighborhoods but there are also religious groups (congregational level and small group level), recreational affiliations, peer groups, professional groups, interest groups, sports teams, and plenty of others. And for each community we have a narrative that shapes how we think about them.

But here is where I want to add my own personal thoughts on the matter. I believe that thinking about and telling my story shapes how I view myself. I already have a story about myself. But when I choose to think about my story I end up thinking about the broader picture: my childhood, my mistakes, my successes, my loves, my hates, and my true identity. By choosing to do this we open ourselves up to being corrected by the facts about ourselves. For some this may mean becoming more humble about who we are. For others this may mean being a little more proud. But for both types it gives a truer sense of who you are.

Our lives have been full of positive and negative experiences. One way of empowering ourselves to change is by telling our stories to another person. By doing so, we are freed from the isolation of having a hidden past. It allows us to open up our vulnerabilities. I know nothing more wonderful than exposing your most darkest secrets with someone you trust and being accepted regardless. It is a glimpse of the unconditional love that restores our souls.

I challenge you to write down your autobiography. Maybe it can be limited to how you developed educationally and professionally. Maybe you can limit to how you have been trapped by resentments towards certain people. But however you choose to do it I think you will find it enlightening. And find a person you trust and share your story. Perhaps your pastor or just a trusted friend.

When I wrote about my development I was amazed at how much I learned that I had simply learned bad habits of living while I was depressed in junior high. Writing it down and learning about myself was redemptive and has freed me to see myself for who I really am. As Dr. Rappaport remarked, "Stories create us and we create the stories."