Jesus is a master story-teller. He uses a variety of ways to share the truths of God’s Kingdom, including the parable of the mustard seed in the third Sunday after Pentecost on June 13.

We live in a story-telling age. Television, a device so powerful that it commands how a significant percentage of the nation spends its time, is primarily a storytelling medium. It is so dominant that communication experts estimate that the average person watches 30,000 or more electronic stories before he or she reaches the age of 21. Like all stories, these electronic tales teach while they entertain. As we sit in front of the “plugged-in-drug,” we absorb the values and life-styles that pass before us. The little picture box in our homes has become one of the most influential teachers for both adults and children.

In a sense all television stories are commercials. They urge the listener (viewer) to accept a point of view or to assume a new position. Television sells attitudes, values, and life-styles as well as deodorants, mouthwash and pills.

Although those who study the impact of television on the lives of people are not in total agreement, there is increasing evidence that we are strongly influenced by the stories we watch. Most of the television stories create a fantasy world that breeds fear, or fail to create a new or better world that is more caring and humane.

We may not be able to stop listening or watching “false stories” on TV, but we can begin telling true stories that affirm honesty, fidelity and generosity while exposing the deadliness of self-centered, greedy behavior. True stories are meant to be transmitted.