I know some people probably thought I was being a dreamer and whimiscally imaginative (aka stupid and impractical) when I wrote last week’s post about stories healing nations.
I’m thrilled for those of you who stuck around. Those who weren’t impressed, or outright cynical… they are our object lesson for the day.
Last week I mentioned that there are stories which reinforce fear and there are stories which empower us… what we focus and spend our time on impacts how we respond to adventure and our quests.
The people who refuse to respond to adventure are listening to different stories.
We all tell ourselves stories. Each of us have heard the shamey three a.m. voice that starts with, “I’m not -” and proceeds to tell us how flawed we are.
Joseph Campell, the scholar who pioneered the mythic hero’s journey, describes those who don’t answer the call to adventure as “victims”. He states that their worlds will continue to deteriorate unless they answer the call to adventure.
I found this particularly interesting because it is fundamental to healing and life in general. There’s an entire branch of study in criminal justice called ‘victimology’. It boils down to the study of why and how people become victims of crime. The conclusion of the course? The number one reason people became victims of crime?
It had nothing to with identity of any sort… it was overwhelmingly a case of “wrong place - wrong time.”
I’m reminded of the ancient Jewish story of Esther. (Also in the Christian Bible. Read it here: Bible Gateway passage: Esther 1 - New International Version)
Eshter was a young Jewish woman who’d been brough to the palace of an enemy king and was forcibily married to him. The situation is like Anne Frank and human trafficking - only its set in ancient Persia. Esther needs to hide her ethnic identity to survive - but if her people, the Jews, are going to survive - she needs to risk everything.
She’s frightened to take a stand and answer the call of adventure, doing the brave and right thing, but if she doesn’t… the world she values… the world of her people will be destroyed in a genocide.
Esther has come to a point where her fears are about to come true. Fear paralyzes us to we can’t move forward. Its hardwired into our survival - but fear isn’t survival.
Esther’s call to adventure starts with refusing to be a victim - despite all the things which happened to her… She’s an orphan, her uncle who works in the king’s court didn’t help her escape the national round up bridal searches, he had a year to hatch an escape plan out of the palace, Esther herself had a year to also attempt escape and she could have disobeyed the training she was recieving and displeased the king. Her rebellious actions would have sent her back to the harem, which potentially would have been more safe than being crowned queen and married to an abusive and powerful jerk.
Esther’s title is a label - she has no real power. She is not in charge of her own destiny or decisions. Her predesscessor Queen Vashti said, “No,” to the king and got herself exiled. Esther even has to ask permission to see her husband, and if he doesn’t allow her to approach him she could be killed. This is not a healthy relationship, despite the royal glamor.
But Esther reaches a point where she’s effectively standing at two crossroad and both are labeled “collapse.”
Both roads are dangerous - but answer the call to adventure is what Esther chose. She refused the path of victimhood and powerlessness, even though she had every right as a woman in an abusive relationship and a member of of a threatened minority ethnic group to call herself a victim.
If she had considered herself a victim, that wouldn’t have made her emotional wounds or trauma go away… the risks before her just made it impossible to tell herself powerless stories.
She had to believe that she could make a difference.
She saw he situation and chose to step out and take control. She called a hunger strike and backed it with prayer, then exposed the archtect of genocide to her husband… over dinner, after she’d smiled at that evil man for days.
Esther challenged the status quo, stopped telling herself powerless stories and saved a nation.
How many stories affect us?
I’ve studied the work of some people who group society into seven mountains or spheres of influence. I know this leads some controversal places - but I wanted to share this image to show you how many stories affect us.
Perpetual Disclaimer for this series:
I am not a counselor or a mental health professional. I am going to attempt to avoid things which will cause alarm or harm, but I can't know what will trigger each individual. If you need to speak to a mental health professional please know that there are resources available.
Your stories are amazing!
Chronic Writer