At the St Barnabas Hospital Survivorship event at which I was the keynote speaker, I sat next to the Reverend Dr. Valerie Griffin who gave the convocation. After hearing my talk that included some messages about faith, she wished me a happy new year (Jewish). She told me at the hospital, the shofar was sounded. I told her a midrash about the shofar or rams horn.
Sounding the shofar represents calling out when you need help. But every ram has two horns. What of the other? The other represents that when someone cries out for help, we listen. We respond.
I also told her that now is the time the Jewish people try to ask for forgiveness of others so they can be granted another year in the Book of Life which is closed on Yom Kippur and you either got signed in for another year….or not.
She proceeded to tell me about the cross.
The cross represents two lines, one from earth to heaven representing the relationship between man and god. The other much shorter line representing the relationship between humans. It’s shorter to represent the shorter path, the easier way to reach redemption through being kind to fellow human beings.
I will never look at a cross the same way again!
Imagery and story makes for a memorable message. Visualizing something and giving it meaning through story creates an imprint on the brain. We all want to make the wisdom we share memorable.
How do you use imagery in the stories you tell?
Leave A Comment