Do you ever experience outrage? Are there situations so unjust that rage is the only possible response? Have you found that this is helpful in resolving the situation? But it will consume you. In many cases those responsible are far away in high positions of leadership and your rage has  no effect. It can also be generated on the basis of fictional stories, and what is the advantage of that? Does it make it better or worse if you have access to the object of your wrath and can express it directly? Truly righteous indignation is really rare.

Are you familiar with the idea that someone is full of themselves? Have you seen living examples of this? Are such people pleasant company? Are you also familiar with the idea of transcendence? You occasionally hear this term in church because it is a spiritual concept, that of rising above, presumably to a higher realm altogether. So what is it that you need to transcend? In some traditions the term is expanded to refer to the self-transcendent. Does this sound like something incomprehensible or unattainable? Don’t make it more complex than it needs to be. Get over yourself.

You live in a commercial world and are surrounded by advertising you can hardly escape. What do you see as the content and theme of advertising? Is it about the features and benefits of the product? Isn’t the real message of the story the implied but not stated promise of a better life? This is a message that connects with everyone, even if the products available are similar and the promise is false, for a better life is not obtained by commercial gratification. So how can a fulfilling life be obtained? You already know the answer.

Do you believe in the power of stories? I did. That is how I taught the people about the Kingdom of God. People are wired to respond to stories and storytellers have always held a privileged place in society, including the film and popular literature industries of today. Do you see common themes recurring in popular stories? The stories I told, such as the prodigal son, were radical and shocking to my audiences, to illustrate the power and love of God. Do you see them this way? Do you see yourself as a writer?