Parables and the Medium is the Message

Parables and the Medium is the Message

In teaching Social Justice, we should look to the art of creating parables, which remains important today because they serve as powerful teaching and communication tools that are focused on the cultural and generational lines of the people the parable is being shared with in story or visual form. Often, we will use different parables with the same message for various generations.

Parables help people grasp complex truths through simple, relatable stories. Here are seven reasons why I think their creation is especially relevant in the modern world of JOC~CST:

• Making Abstract Ideas Concrete: Many people view social teachings as somewhat academic, and depending on the generation addressed, we use parables to illustrate ideas with everyday experiences, making complex or abstract concepts easier to understand and remember.

• Encouraging Reflection and Critical Thinking: By inviting people to immerse themselves in the story (think of a good movie, a good book, and how one becomes immersed in the story), parables foster deeper reflection, challenge assumptions, and support personal growth and transformation.

• Parables are powerful tools for promoting engagement and fostering personal Connections. By activating the imagination and emotions, they make stories more memorable and more likely to inspire action or change in the listener's life.

• Parables are effective in breaking down cultural and language barriers. By using universal life situations and imagery, they can effectively convey profound truths to people from different cultures, backgrounds, and ages. This is why we create different parables with the same message for various audiences.

• Inviting Response and Application: Parables are designed to "goad people into response"—not just to convey information, but to call listeners to act on what they've learned in their own lives.

• Building Ethical and Spiritual Insight: Parables convey spiritual, ethical, or philosophical values in various ways, sometimes confrontationally and often non-confrontationally. Keep in mind that the medium is the message; our goal is to help people internalize important lessons without feeling directly targeted or judged.

• Functioning as Persuasive Narratives: Because human thinking and value systems are heavily influenced by storytelling rather than abstract logic, parables are highly persuasive and effective at shaping beliefs and actions in today's media-driven, story-centric culture.

Ultimately, creating parables today enables educators, leaders, and anyone seeking to influence others to share truth in ways that encourage participation, reflection, and transformation. The potential for transformation that parables hold makes ancient wisdom relevant and practical in modern life, inspiring us to continue using them as powerful teaching tools.

The Currency of human contact is stories! People remember what they "see" in their minds.

>> Robert McKee, the screenwriting teacher.

Now, just for a bit of fun, here's a little 'parable' that brought a smile to my face. It's a testament to the power of parables to evoke emotions and connect with the audience on a personal level.

Check to see how many of the seven elements listed above touch "visual parable."