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On street corners and in market places in Africa, one can often see groups of men and women gathered to listen to someone tell a story. This is a natural part of an "oral society" and is their primary means of transmitting information. I realized one day how powerful the "told" story is.
My family was invited to a wedding party at the home of one of our Muslim friends in North Africa. We were sitting in a very large living room, the men on one side and the women on the other side. As women, we were naturally talking about our families and our children. The next thing I knew, I was sharing the story of the birth of my third child and how God had miraculously healed my body after two near-death experiences with my first two deliveries.
Before I could get to the second half of the story, I realized that there was a silent "hush" over the entire living room. Everyone in the living room, both men, women, and children, had stopped talking and doing whatever they were doing to listen to my "story". I couldn't believe it.
In oral cultures, when someone starts to tell a story, EVERYONE stops to listen!
My family was invited to a wedding party at the home of one of our Muslim friends in North Africa. We were sitting in a very large living room, the men on one side and the women on the other side. As women, we were naturally talking about our families and our children. The next thing I knew, I was sharing the story of the birth of my third child and how God had miraculously healed my body after two near-death experiences with my first two deliveries.
Before I could get to the second half of the story, I realized that there was a silent "hush" over the entire living room. Everyone in the living room, both men, women, and children, had stopped talking and doing whatever they were doing to listen to my "story". I couldn't believe it.
In oral cultures, when someone starts to tell a story, EVERYONE stops to listen!
