Mystery and Story

Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.
- Mark 4.11

It is the kind of day that is getting colder by the minute. I may need to grab a sweater in between a few of these words. As I have a snippet of time here under my blanket, my thoughts begin to wander, weaving in and out of some words that hold truths that my soul needs.

I cannot expect to know or understand everything that's going on, but I always wish I did. I am one who wants to know the details and the reasons, especially when it involves something close to me that I care about deeply. What is it in me that desires to know? Is it our human nature to want to know? Is it my personality?

Being a very introspective and reflective person, I always have thoughts going round my head. Inside, there's deep thinking going on most of the time. I suppose this can be both good and bad. As we all have certain traits that make up who we are, there can be good sides to it, and also a side that could lead into something not so good. These thoughts don't really turn off until I fall asleep, and even then sometimes the thoughts follow me into my dreams. Sometimes not.

I imagine myself in the time of Jesus sometimes as I read Scripture. If I were nearby when He was telling a story, what would I be thinking? The parables He told had deeper meanings and glimpses into what the Kingdom of God was like, which was especially helpful to those who didn't have faith and trust in the Kingdom of God. Since we don't always understand what is right in front of us, a story is sometimes what we need to bridge the knowing and the understanding. Sometimes a story can offer an image for us to dwell in, as a complex meaning can be brought into view as a story - something we can relate to our lives.

Perhaps that is how we can understand something better - through a story told to us, or even our own story as others might tell it.