Speaker & Worship Leader:- Alix Geard
Stories, parables and memes show us patterns which we may choose to live by. In ways big and small they can set the courses of our lives and help define the groups who share them. Considering that, what stories do we want to share?
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Alix Geard © 16 February 2025
About stories
You’re going to get my musings in 2 different sections with 2 different flavours today.
Today, I want to talk about stories.
This means, a little sadly, that I’m mostly not going to tell stories, certainly not with the poetry and resonance some of them deserve. When I do speak of specific stories I’ll summarise them.
Why stories?
This is partly because John Maindonald of our church community set me a challenge. It was probably unintentional. He was musing about our lack of a set of stories as Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists, and asked, “What are the kinds of stories that are important to us, that serve the same kind of role as biblical stories or Hindu stories? Are the values enough on their own?”
That’s a big chewy question with several layers. I like big chewy questions. And although I don’t claim to answer it – I don’t think there’s a single answer and I’m not sure the point of the question is to reach a specific answer – I can open it up and explore parts of it today.
I suspect that part of what John was pondering was whether our values and even our principles can seem a bit too abstract. Would having a collection of specific stories and poems that we share help us to explore and communicate what our values mean in practice?
I picked one aspect of the question and titled this service “Stories and community”. “Stories, parables and memes show us patterns which we may choose to live by. In ways big and small they can set the courses of our lives and help define the groups who share them. Considering that, what stories do we want to share?”.
What do I mean by stories?
I’m using the term “stories” very broadly. Sometimes they’re accounts of things that happened. They might be parables: a classic example is the parable of the good Samaritan. They might be whakataukī or whakatauākī, proverbs, memes, words of wisdom, poems.
Mostly they’re told in words, although I’d argue that our chalice-lighting is a story as well being the subject of stories. The hymns we sing most often are a kind of story – I’ve chosen some of those for today’s service. Things we wrestle with are among our stories. As well as leading us to think about social norms and appropriate ways to live our lives, stories are ways of recording and sharing that:
- We value these ways of understanding the world and the people we live with.
- We value these ways of moving and acting in the world.
- We find these things important, or beautiful, or meaningful.
- These things give us comfort in times of hurt or despair, and guidance when we’re uncertain.
My husband Stephen – who some of you met last month when we attended the church in person – likes to say that “The stories we tell people are patterns for how they’ll behave when they don’t have time to think.” When questioned about that, he’ll allow that they’re also for when you do have time to think, but the choices might be hard or socially awkward. Through stories, we’ve already rehearsed in our minds what we’ll do when this situation comes along.
Shared stories are also a way to keep group memory fresh. Although these examples are both before my time with Auckland Unitarians, they’re part of why I’m here:
- We have offered sanctuary. Old-fashioned, refuge-in-the-church sanctuary. We spoke and acted a dusty story into being for an urgent modern need.
- Clay Nelson as our Minister spoke to Parliament through a select committee, encouraging our MPs to ban conversion therapy practices. He argued that seeking to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is against our religious principles, denying – among other things – their inherent worth and dignity, and their free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
What does it mean for us if we claim to inherit these stories? What other stories might we live out to add to our collection?
Musings – Stories and community
Kia ora, friends. It’s good to be gathered here today, in this shared space of curiosity, kindness and community.
Today, we reflect on storytelling – not just as an art, but as a foundation of how we create and sustain community.
The stories we live by
Since our ancestors were first human, they have told stories – to entertain, to teach, to warn, to inspire. These stories aren’t just old myths or bedtime tales; they are the cultural scripts that shape our sense of right and wrong, belonging and isolation, hope and despair.
In Aotearoa, we are blessed with the deep wisdom of Māori pūrākau – stories that do more than explain the world; they guide us in how to live well within it. Think of the story of Māui slowing the sun – how ingenuity and collective effort can stretch time itself. Or the tale of Papatūānuku and Ranginui, the earth mother and sky father, who remind us that love and separation are both woven into the fabric of existence.
These stories do not just sit on the shelf; they live within us. They teach us about resilience, humility, and the necessity of working together.
Modern myths and digital parables
Our storytelling changes with us. Today, we tell new kinds of stories, in new ways. Think of viral internet memes that spread ideas faster than a wildfire – sometimes funny, sometimes profound. The memes we share say a lot about who we are and what we value.
Take the phrase, “Be kind.” This simple slogan from the era of Jacinda Ardern’s afternoon briefings became more than a catchphrase; it became a guiding ethic during the challenges of a pandemic. It reminded us that in times of crisis, our best stories are the ones that call us to compassion and solidarity.
Or think of the internet’s fascination with the phrase, “You are the main character.” It’s an invitation to see your life as meaningful, to take hold of your story and live it with intention. But the deeper truth is that no one is the sole protagonist – our stories are intertwined. We are co-authors of a shared narrative.
What happens when we tell the wrong stories?
Of course, not all stories serve us well. Some divide rather than unite. Myths of individualism can make us forget our interdependence. Stories that pit “us” against “them” can breed distrust and fear. A community can be built up or broken down by the stories it chooses to tell.
Consider the narratives around success and failure. If we tell a story that wealth equals worth, we will judge people accordingly. But if we tell a story that dignity is inherent, then our society will reflect that in how we care for one another.
Storytelling as an act of faith
So, what does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist storyteller?
It means choosing stories of love over fear. It means crafting a narrative of belonging rather than exclusion. It means listening deeply to the stories of others, especially those whose voices have been ignored.
In this space, we do not require one single story to define us. Instead, we honor the rich diversity of human experience. We recognize that each of us carries sacred stories within us – of pain and joy, struggle and triumph. And when we share those stories, we weave the fabric of true community.
Writing the next chapter together
My friends, we are all storytellers, whether we realize it or not. Each day, through our words and actions, we write the next chapter of this community, of this world.
What stories will we choose to tell? What stories will we challenge? What stories will we live?
As we go forth from this place, may we tell stories that bring us together. May we listen with open hearts. And may we continue weaving a community where love, justice and joy are the central themes.
Arohanui, and blessed be.
Meditation / Conversation starter
- Considering all that we’ve heard today, what stories do we want to share?