The Greatest Storyteller of all Time

It’s Thanksgiving and what better way to celebrate than to recognize the greatest storyteller of all time. No, it’s not Steve Jobs or Martin Luther King Jr. It’s Jesus Christ.

Consider this story, told in Matthew 25:31-40. Jesus is speaking to his assembled people and thanking them for the kindness they’ve shown to him.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Notice how Jesus uses an analogy – serving the needy is the same as serving him. Analogies are a form of storytelling that are proven to make an audience more likely to agree with you. Jesus uses analogies throughout the Bible, and very effectively.

I’m off to serve meals to the homeless in downtown Seattle. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

About the author: Bruce Gabrielle is author of Speaking PowerPoint: the New Language of Business, showing a 12-step method for creating clearer and more persuasive PowerPoint slides for boardroom presentations. Subscribe to this blog or join my LinkedIn group to get new posts sent to your inbox.