Wound from behind...

story telling
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.

But get me someone to play some music.
While the musician was playing, the Lord’s power came over Elisha.
–2 Kings 3:15

Soren Kierkegaard, the eighteenth century Danish existentialist philosopher and theologian, also believed that identification is the means through which advocates influence people. He specifically addressed the “Christendom” problem-in which many people who live in a “Christian country” believe in Christianity but do not live by it and do not see the contradiction and they live the “illusion” that they are Christians! ...A “direct” approach to such people, Kierkegaard observed, arouses defensiveness and is counterproductive.

So he recommend “indirect” communication approaches that engage peoples imagination, such as through narrative, that “wound from behind” and help people to “discover” truth. He exclaims: "The method must be indirect…All the old military science, all the apologetic and whatever goes with it, serves rather—candidly speaking—to betray the cause of Christianity. At every instant and at every point the tactics must be adapted to a fight which is waged against a conceit, an illusion." (-The Point of View by S. Kierkegaard) (The above was taken from chapter 5 of the book: The Celtic Way Of Evangelism by George Hunter)

In light of the above truth...I have been thinking deeply about story, song, picture, film and basically the medium of arts in connecting with people in our day to day world.
I sat in a parking lot last Saturday night with around 300 people watching Labyrinth. Hundreds of people came out and sat under the stars to watch and listen to a tale about a girl who is growing up and needs to remember that sometimes as a "grown up" she needs to return to childhood. A profound truth that resonates in the hearts of people living to disconnected from their inner selves. I feel a deep challenge to explore more ways to rip off the roof and get people to Jesus in maybe unconventional ways because the "normal" way has been closed off, jammed up and is too crowded. (read Mark 2:1-12 for context).