A Name and A Story

Over the past three or four years I’ve become somewhat of an NPR addict. Whenever I get in the car I flip to 89.9 to see if there’s a show on. Often times, I’ll get to my destination and not want to get out of my car because I want to hear the rest of the story. I’ve even driven out of my way on purpose so I could hear more of the show. My favorite show is called This American Life. Every week they “choose a theme and tell stories on that theme.” Sometimes it’s related to current events but often they just pick a topic like home movies, summer camp, being held hostage, and then their contributors tell stories. Sometimes they’re hilarious and other times they’re deeply sad or profound. If you’ve never heard the show, it’s kind of hard to explain. You really need to hear an episode. The podcast is free in iTunes or you can stream episodes on their website. What I love about This American Life, is that they often tell stories from average people. But they’re really good storytellers and the format is unique, so it’s always fascinating.

I think that getting to know a person’s story is central to loving them like Jesus would. Especially when it comes to serving “the least of these,” putting a name and a story to people is crucial. When I hear where a person has come from, they’re no longer just “that homeless guy” or “that poor person.” Stories break down the labels we put on people.

My NPR addiction and these thoughts about story collided a while back and gave me an idea. On a semi-regular basis, people stop in the church office off the street. Sometimes they just want to talk, but often they come in to ask for something. They ask for money, bus passes, food, etc., and we help out when we can. Over the course of the two years I’ve been working downtown I’ve often wondered who these people are that come in. How did they get in this situation? What were they like as kids? So I thought it might be interesting to ask a person who comes in to sit down and share their story. I would record the interview and then turn it into a story in the style of This American Life.

This week I finally got the chance to try it. I recorded an interview with a man that came in and asked for a bus ticket. It turned out to be a very interesting story and you can listen to it below. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it encourages you to take a risk and get to know where a person comes from.