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To Go Forth Blog

To Go Forth is a blog of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD). The blog takes its inspiration from Pope Francis’ challenge to go forth to the “peripheries” to share the Good News and stand in solidarity with those suffering poverty and injustice.

 

The Power of Stories to Open Our Hearts

January 26, 2021

Sylvia Wilber OWOH GB.pngStories captivate us as human beings. They help us understand our roots, share our traditions, pass our faith on to the next generation, and feel a sense of connection and belonging. Stories also have the power to change us and our ways of seeing the world, if we are open to it. 

Because stories can help us see something we might otherwise miss, I have found them to be an especially effective tool in the work of racial justice. To this day, our nation and our church remain fairly segregated, so it is easy for us to go through life without really understanding how people of other backgrounds and ethnicities live. This is a particular challenge in a place like my diocese, Green Bay, WI, where nearly 90% of the people are white.  Stories can help us overcome this challenge and move us towards a culture of encounter.

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