God Loves Stories

When we begin prayer with “O God, come to my assistance; O God, make haste to help me,” we acknowledge that we can do nothing with God—not even pray. However, acknowledging that we need God does not mean that we can expect God to do everything for us. Indeed, a Jewish proverb notes, “Why were human beings created? Because God loves stories.” Although we are animated by God, it is through our creativity that we and God together create something new, a story that has never before existed. We are an integral part of the process, which Pope John Paul II noted in his Letter to Artists: “…as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: In a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.”

I’m intrigued by the idea of crafting our own life. To craft does not require artistic skill, but it does entail care, devotion, openness to inspiration, and the discipline of revision. Our life is too sacred to let it remain a shapeless block of wood or a blank sheet of paper. We must continually work at crafting our life and be willing to add or subtract elements as our vision changes, trusting God to provide the tools and the teachers we need along the way. I myself was surprised in mid life to find that my vision shifted to living in a monastic community, and at the Mount God provided teachers, companions, and the Rule of St. Benedict to guide me.

Inevitably, as we practice crafting our life, our skill grows and our inherent God-given beauty begins to shine with greater clarity. We all know what it is like to be drawn to certain people because of their peacefulness and wisdom. They show us that we too can craft a life that is a work of art—a story that is forever new, forever fresh—as long as we keep the prayer “O God, come to my assistance” on our lips.