The “Sharing” in Sharing Their Story has several different senses:
- “telling,” as in the communication of what has happened and what’s happening, locally and globally—what didn’t exist for us, now does;
- “accessing,” as in mutual ownership or possession—what wasn’t ours before, now is and can be, on many different levels;
- “connecting,” as in active participation in a larger story than our own—what was the responsibility or prerogative of others (experts, institutions, etc.), has now become ours.
In light of those nuances, STS is really more than a ministry or organization. It is a way of life. It is a reality where things can and do change. It is a place where true stories meet. It is an opportunity for “ordinary” people to consider the larger context of their lives, to reflect on their special, individual calling in light of that story, and to orient that calling toward the needs of others. It is an open community of life-authors and life-actors who welcome, support, challenge, exhort and encourage one another in their attempts to write themselves into the stories of the forgotten, vulnerable and oppressed, each one of which has a name and a story worth sharing. Because there really is no “them” or “their,” only “us” and “our.”
