How Stories Shape Us

Over the last two weeks, I’ve shared very different stories of two very different people. The first was of my Opa, who fought in Hitler’s army during WWII. The second was of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was imprisoned and executed for opposing the Nazis and conspiring to kill Hitler. They were both German, and yet the stories they believed were very different. 

Stories have the power to shape our worldview - the way we see the world and our place in it. When we tell and believe stories about people who are different from us, it forms preconceived ideas about them. When gone unchecked and unchallenged, these ideas can lead to discrimination. When discrimination becomes systemic, it can lead to atrocities like genocide, which was the case in Nazi Germany. 

My point is that if we want to battle racism and systemic injustice, we need to tell better stories. Trying to change people’s actions without addressing that which led them to that action is like shaving off the top of an iceberg in an attempt to make it harmless. Just because you can’t see it above the surface, doesn’t mean it isn’t lurking underneath. With that in mind, a few questions still remain: How do we judge the stories we tell? How do we know what stories are true? How do our stories perpetuate or resist oppression? 

1) Be humble. You never have the full story.
Humility is hard for us. We like to think that we know it all, but the truth is, we never do. None of us ever have the full story; we all have our own perspective and biases. The goal isn’t to eliminate our bias, but to expand our “library.” My Opa grew up in a small village where all he heard was what was dictated to him by the Nazi state. When he finally met people who were different from him, he learned that they were just as human as he was. Bonhoeffer, on the other hand, studied abroad in New York, worked in Spain and England, and had strong connections in the ecumenical church. He knew that the Nazi narrative was suspect because of his diverse friendships.

Let me suggest that we hold our stories lightly. Be ready to be confronted by new information. We need to be willing to admit when we're wrong and change our stories when other information and experiences compel us to. The best way to shape our stories of people who are different from us is to listen to and believe them. Building honest relationships with people who are different from us, those we may have something against, or even our enemies, is key. What we usually find is that our stereotypes quickly fade away in the context of friendship.

2) Ask power questions. It might just add clarity.
Power dynamics are an important ingredient in telling stories. We usually listen to and believe those in power, which is one reason why most Germans never questioned the actions of their state. If my Opa would have asked those without power (especially the Jews) to tell their stories, it might have changed his perspective. Bonhoeffer had the benefit of having Jews as in-laws, which meant he witnessed the plight of the powerless early on. A lot of what he did was for the sake of the oppressed. In the end, he gave his life for those without power. 

It isn’t our common practice, but what would happed if we prioritized the voices without power? What are the experiences of those who are calling out for justice? When we bend our ears to the powerless, we allow ourselves to hear stories that otherwise wouldn’t be told.

3) Taste the fruit. If it’s rotten, the story may be too.
Just like humility, introspection is hard. No one ever thinks of themselves as racist, and so we can’t always recognize when our attitudes and actions are. But if we took time to evaluate our feelings and reactions around people who are different from us, it will give us immense insight into our stories about them. If people tell us that what we’re saying about them is hurtful, or if our actions lead to hate, exclusion, and violence, we need to pay attention. 

As a Christian, I believe our actions should look loving and peaceful to others for the sake of Christ. The Bible is very clear that God created the world to be good and that every human is created equal in the image of God. No one is excluded from God’s family on account of their race, culture, language, gender, orientation, or status. When we make Jesus Lord of our lives and invite God’s spirit to be our guiding force, then the fruit that will emerge is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5).  If this isn’t the outcome of our stories, we have some work left to do.

I believe that if my Opa could see that the fruit coming out of Nazi Germany was rotten, he would have opposed it. But even if most Germans didn’t know the full extent of what happened in the concentration camps, there were enough public signs that those who were attentive noticed and rejected the narrative being told to them. Bonhoeffer denounced the evil done to the victims of the Nazis to the point that he smuggled Jews out of Germany. He was also part of a conspiracy to kill Hitler, himself willing to take on the guilt of murder on behalf of the powerless. 

You may say that Nazi Germany is too extreme of an example to use for our time. But we’re not free of racism, oppression, hate, or discrimination. We’re seeing so many movements that are trying to address the experiences of the oppressed, whether it be Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, the Pipeline Protests, and more. The tensions are high and many of us are confused by all the different stories we are hearing. In some ways, our technological age has made things easier, but it has also given space to many, many more voices to sift through.

I don’t think there are any easy answers and I also don’t expect that we’ll always get it right. All I hope is for us to realize, once again, that stories matter. Not only the stories of the past, but the stories of what’s going on in the world right now. How diverse are the stories we are listening to? Have we made space for the powerless to be heard? And what are the outcomes of the stories we tell, not only for us, but also for the next generation? Hopefully by asking some of these questions, we will be able to move closer towards the truth, love, and peace that God has intended us to live into.