Week 11 Storytelling: The Road Less Traveled

          

           There was a young man named Shane Lowry; he was a very conscious person who thought more than the average individual did on a daily basis. His mind was a constant roller coaster and one day, it finally got to him. He believed in a spiritual entity, but did not know what its’ role was in his life or in the world. Shane decided to set out on a journey to find out the meaning for his existence and the truth to life.

            He sat out on a journey to find the answers to all of his questions. After a few days of traveling by foot, he decided to stop and sit down at a tree. Shane looked around and what he saw really caught his attention. In front of him was a enormous and beautiful cathedral. He rested for a bit longer, but eventually decided to enter and examine the ruins of this abandoned cathedral till he arrived at the altar. There were four objects at the altar, the Bible, a piece of bread, a bottle of wine and a glass of water. All of this confused Shane; he tried to figure out what these certain objects were for.

At that moment, a great beam of light shined on him and a mysterious voice called his name, “Shane, Shane, Shane.” He tried to shake his head to clear his mind from any thoughts because he believed he was hearing things until the voice told Shane to pick up the Bible and turn to Matthew 26:26 – 26:28 and begin to read. It read, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” 

 

Communion

Shane looked down to the altar, took the bread in one hand and the glass of wine in the other hand. He followed the same sequence of which he had just read in the Bible. He did not feel any different than he did before he consumed the bread and wine. The voice returned, ordering Shane to pick up the Bible again and turn to Matthew 3:13-17, which is when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the river of Galilee. The voice said, “Shane, take the glass of water and repeat these words with me… Heavenly Father, In your love you have called me to know you, led us to trust you, and bound our life with yours. Surround this child with your love, protect it from evil. Fill it with the Holy Spirit and receive it into the family of your church that it may walk with us in the way of Christ, and grow in the knowledge of your love.” After saying this prayer, Shane felt at peace.

This sequence of events led to answering all of the questions he has always had. Finally, he found the truth and the true meaning of his life in the world. 

Bibliography: KingArthur, How Sir Lancelot Saw A Vision, Andrew Lang (1902)

Author’s Note:

The story I chose this week was How Sir Lancelot Saw A Vision from the storybook of King Arthur. He arrived at a stone cross which laid next to it was a block of marble. He tied his horse up to a three, hung his shield there and looked into the chapel. The altar of the church was covered with silk and a candlestick that had six branches made of silver. There was a great light that beamed from it in which prompted Sir Lancelot to enter it, but he could not. He went back to where his horse was and laid down to rest. Two white palfreys stopped at the stone cross and the Knight said, "O sweet Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me, and when shall the Holy Vessel come by me, through which I shall be blessed? For I have endured long, though my ill deeds were few." As he spoke these words, the candlestick from the chapel stood before the cross and brought with it a table of silver and the Holy Vessel of the Graal. The Knight moved toward the Holy Vessel, and prayed, his sickness went away. The Graal, the light and the candlestick entered back into the chapel. Sir Lancelot wanted to follow them, but the weight of his sins weighted him down. He knew that he was in deep sin that he has never confessed of. "My sin and my wickedness have done me this dishonour, for when I sought worldly adventures for worldly desires I ever achieved them and had the better in every place, and never was I discomfited in any quarrel, were it right or wrong. And now I take upon me the adventures of holy things, I see and understand that my old sin hinders me, so that I could not name nor speak when the Holy Graal passed by."