When Stories Wound

Only complex stories
expose shared humanity,
brokenness, and mutual dependence.
Deep stories configure the very
way we understand our world.
We become storytellers
to sustain identity, meaning,
purpose, and agency.
By grace, we can reimagine
more humanizing
narratives to live.
Concrete love breaks down walls,
dissolves limits around the heart.
Privilege relatedness
and responsibility over division,
hope over distrust.
Concrete neighbor-love is our work
—and being loved completely.

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READER’S POEM

After I finish a good read and before I tuck it away on the shelf, I like to spend some time summarizing what was most important to me. I use the author’s own words, varied only slightly, and follow the themes that speak most strongly to me at this time. The example below remains a summary and serves only as my own interpretation, so I take responsibility for any deviation from the author’s original intent. Even so, may it be a helpful reflection for others and an encouragement to read a fine book in its entirety.

Samuel, Nathaniel. When Stories Wound: Responsible Living in a Polarized World. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2025. Reader’s poem by Samuel Rahberg.