Stones of Remembrance

In each person’s life there are turning points and defining events that influence the course of a life–or ones attitude toward life. If we can identify some of these in a Retelling project, they become like stones of remembrance.

Photo by Alberto Restifo

The story from the Old Testament tells that when Joshua led the people of Israel into the promised land after 40 years of wandering, God stopped the flow of the Jordan River so that the thousands of them could cross over on dry land. God wanted this miracle to be remembered and recounted generation after generation, as a reminder of what He had done for them. Here is the account from the Book of Joshua:

“So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”

In a Retelling project, “stones of remembrance” might commemorate a difficult decision, a tragedy, or a bright opportunity taken. They show the forces and decisions that shaped a life. In each Retelling project we are carefully placing stones of remembrance.

Copyright © 2013 by Mary Beth Lagerborg