Book Club and the Stories We Tell
Colm Is a Deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston and a prison Chaplain. He and his wife Julie have 4 adult children and 2 grandchildren. His Catholic faith has always been a central part of his family and work life and is a source of endless joy.
Since I started as a Prison Chaplain last December, I began a Book Club with the inmates. We have been reading and discussing books like Les Misérables, Man’s Search for Meaning and, currently, Siddhartha. The main characters of these tales suffer immensely as they journey through life. Happiness isn’t really the point and, as Victor Frankl’s title suggests, it’s not the primary thing we are seeking. What makes life worth living isn’t so much the pursuit of happiness (even if the US Declaration of Independence tells us it is), but rather, having a purpose. For people of faith our purpose is unity with God. Our acts of worship help us transcend our humanity, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, there will be beauty…there will be love. Our suffering connects us to others who suffer in grace-filled ways we don’t fully understand. This sense of belonging is both challenging and awesome and makes life worth living, no matter how hard it is or what losses we suffer.
An important factor in determining whether or not our lives have meaning is how we think about and share our own stories. Telling our stories helps us make sense of our lives and a Book Club can help with this. We choose the story we tell about ourselves and, rather than circumstances determining our story, the way we narrate or tell our story actually shapes what our lives become. An inmate can embody a story that reflects abuse, selfishness and crime or a story of change and redemption. What version of the story do we choose to tell? There may be nothing more important to the quality of our lives than the stories we tell and how we choose to tell them.
Every storyteller needs an “editor” – someone to help reframe the narrative – because, despite our best efforts, we are often not the most honest with ourselves when it comes to our own lives. We can judge our own actions too harshly or alternatively blame everyone else for difficulties that we have created. A Christian Book Club or Bible Study is an opportunity to reflect on Truth. The central story of our faith, the story that gives meaning to our lives, is Jesus’ story. Though it is a story filled with suffering and loss, it is ultimately a story of Hope, Redemption, New Life and, even, Happiness.
