Some Contemporary Examples
If you review the Parable of the Good Samaritan or the Parable of the Prodigal Son, virtually each of these characteristics are met. A good piece of fiction with a definite theme might also meet most of these characteris- tics, but differs from a parable in that it need not have an explicit spiritual intent.
We do have a few contemporary examples of parabolic teaching, if not preaching per se. The popular television show, The Twilight Zone, was often parabolic. Rod Serling usually began and ended his show with commentaries that hinted the show's story was in effect a sophisticated morality play. On one show Agnes Moorhead portrayed a poor woman in a rural setting besieged by invaders from another planet. The story was vivid, concrete, common, artful. The audience identified with Moorhead's plight. At the end, after she had triumphed, the audience discovered the "aliens" were actually men from the Planet Earth. This sudden turn of events had parabolic impact. The parable was a new and unusual way of looking at a common issue--fear of the unknown and our lack of empathy for those who seem "alien." The program evidenced virtually all the characteristics of parables. Serling's language was glib, his point of view ironic. The program had an economy of style--it lasted only 22 minutes. The original program date was in the era of our early space exploration, and thus timely to our unexplored attitudes about becoming invaders when previously we had only feared the prospect of our being invaded as in the H.G. Wells War of the Worlds phenomena. The story certainly evoked different levels of interpretation. The point of view was ironic---ironic in our natural disposition to identify with the actual character who turned out to be the "alien." Many propositional statements about the program's themes could be advanced and defended, but in effect the meaning adheres to the story line. Serling's introduction and conclusion warns there is more here than meets the eye. The unexpected outcome knocked the audience flat. A message was not drummed home so much as the audience was left with the responsibility for determining what the message really was. Understanding required further thought, and, importantly, from a variety of perspectives. This is the stuff of parabolic teaching.
The Sunday afternoon dramatic series Insight is also parabolic. The vivid, dramatic stories invariably have heuristic intent. The episode when God appeared as a black man to a white Christian met all our criteria for parabolic teaching. And I also think the segments on 60 Minutes by Andy Rooney are often parabolic. What lays under Rooney's treatment of such common, even mundane, subjects as tie racks, doorknobs, light switches, ink pens is not only good satire, but illustrative and instructive treatments of our excessively materialistic, over complicated, urbane way of life. The inherent warning about the consequences of such a lifestyle are self--contained.
The first example of dramatic parabolic preaching I ever witnessed was done by a Chaplain at Occidental College. It was the Christmas season of 1967. This minister gave wrapped gifts from the pulpit to members of the congregation. One of the "gifts" was an empty napalm canister. Needless to say, not all in attendance appreciated the gift. But the lesson met all the criteria I have identified as those characteristic of parabolic preaching.
The most popular form of parabolic preaching of which I am aware has been the tradition of "object lessons" sometimes preached to children's groups. A minister, Charles Coulston, used to devote a portion of every Sunday service to an "object lesson." He dedicated these lessons to the children, but he knew they were equally relevant to the adults despite the lessons' simplicity. In one such lesson he took a coin from his pocket and asked, "Who do you trust?" On all our coins it says, "In God We Trust." He queried whether it was God or money we trusted more. This type of preaching tends toward analogy, but is no less important because of its more limited artistic vision.
Finally, I once heard a Church of Christ minister, Marshal Brookey, preach a sermon in which he was "disfellowshipping" some unnamed person. Al-though most everyone suspected from early on the "Devil" was going to be dis-fellow- shipped, he pulled the sermon off very effectively, very parabolically.
However, the shortness of this list reflects that most of my life in churches has been spent listening to valuable, but almost invariably proposi- tional sermons. I do not want to diminish the worth of that very important vehicle of preaching the good news. However, I think parabolic preaching has a lot more potential for contemporary youth ____________. Parabolic preaching can leave quite an impression. When I left my first congregation after two years, during which I preached a total of 100 sermons, I gathered a group of eight of the most regular members to review my sermons. I brought my own list to check off the ones someone, anyone, could recall. I kept the list hidden and offered no reminders. The group, together, was able to derive a list which included the theme of every sermon I had preached. I realize that that is not the same as saying any or all sermons were worthwhile. But it does say something about the possible impact of this form of preaching.
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