Guest Post
by Herman Groenewald
Story is on of the earliest communication forms, it is found in every people and culture, it is still one that has great power. The Bible is not just a compilation of many stories, it is actually one commanding story.
To many the Bible seems distant and elusive, and they struggle to understand the intent of God’s Story and its relationship to their own time and their daily lives. So, the key becomes of connecting their experiences, circumstances and placing it in the context of their lifestyles. Using a parable story to get a message across.
What I have often used, is what I call the story of the orange. It so happens it is the only food we share sometimes on our mission trips to the Kalahari Bushmen. I take bags of oranges on the trips.
Once we have shared a story from one of our mission team I then use an orange. I hand it to one of the children. Before they peel it, I tell them it is like a story of God’s Word. We call it the Bible. Now I tell them it is no good if we do not open it share, read, understand and believe.
I ask them to peel the orange. Now I stop them to say, now it is like Gods stories of which there are many. I ask them to divide the orange but not yet to eat it. Now I tell them it represents Gods stories, but we cannot be selfish, we need to share it with others. That is why God has given it, to be shared. Now they hand out the orange. I explain that when they now eat it, it is like taking in the word of God and that it feeds our body, our mind and our goal. Now we ask them to repeat the first story they were told.
Amazing how a simple parable works!
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (Psalm 96:3)
A Prayer of Faith
Omniscient God of love and grace, just as you called Abraham, you call us to rise up in Faith and to follow you. A challenge to live expectantly and to embrace the unknown. You call us to travel on a road with no known address. You call us to a faith without security.
We want to stay amongst those we know and love, but you call us to move forward. We are pilgrims searching for the City of which You are the Architect.
We thank you for the heroes of Faith and mentors who have been examples to us in our pilgrimage.
Help us to complete the race of Faith with perseverance, our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
AMEN
Blessings
Herman
A very good illustration Herman. Will tell the story to my grandchildren. Hope the orange will outlast the story.