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Good morning,

I was reading a book recently that poignantly reflected that without families there are no stories.  This was not some statement as to whether we should live our lives in certain ways, or marry or have children, but rather the reflection that in a life lived in great difficulty, and without family connections, stories are lost.

It is said that we are all connected at six degrees …..that 6 stories or social connections will find we are all somehow known.  I find it a very powerful concept, for it focusses on what we all have in common rather than the things we know cause division.

Whenever I gather with friends or family, stories flow – there’s something about shared history to which we can all relate.  But stories too, become very powerful tools when we meet people for the first time, and they can help take us outside our comfort zone.  Where different communities and traditions come together, the power of a shared story can often be the beginning of positive relationships, for we can relate to the human story which is universal.

In the Scottish folk tradition, stories are often carried in song or ballad.  The singer or the storyteller is less important than what they are communicating and carrying….what they share by their words is the gift, so it can be carried further.

The shared truth in most religions is in the power of Love – love that is made known in a variety of ways – but love which is a gift, both to receive and to share.  If in story and song and in the living of our lives, we carry the gift of love, then we all take our place in the unfolding human story.

God of the past, present and future, let the strength of your love be our story to share. Amen