Epic Telling of Mark

The picture looking out the window is the view from the new IMPACT center, including the Toyota minivan in which we travel around Kerala. I used this photo to create a powerpoint for our introductory session of the 2/1-2 day workshop we conducted here on "Biblical Storytelling in Oral and Digital Culture." We titled that session "Biblical Storytelling: A Window Into the Sacred." I told about (and showed in the powerpoint) the view from our home in Dayton, Ohio USA and then invited the group to tell a partner about the view from their home window. It was an ice-breaker that seemed to work well judging from all the talk that ensued. Most of the conversation was in the local language, Malayalum. One of the sisters spoke good English so she translated at times.

Our workshop was held at the Claretian Provincial House, a large new beautiful building, constructed to maximize air flow and light while minimizing heat, since like most places it is not air conditioned. I don't know when I have been so hot for so long, but we gradually are getting used to it. Hot, humid, Houston-like weather only moreso. We are in the tropics after all. The land of spices and bananas of many varieties. Little sweet bananas that only grow in Kerala. So tasty!

Back to the workshop: Participants in the program included several young men from the Jesus Youth Movement and many sisters from various religious communities. They had difficulty understanding our "American English" as they are accustomed to "Indian English" and most did not speak any kind of English well. Nevertheless in 2-1/2 long days we taught enough about biblical storytelling that we were able to conduct an epic telling of the Gospel of Mark in which everybody participated. It was truly remarkable.