The Book of Numbers ends with a list: a recounting of the places the Israelites visited on their way from Mitzrayim to Canaan. 42 places in 40 years, each one an episode in the journey, each one described briefly: “They set out from Marah and came to Elim. There were twelve springs in Elim and seventy palm trees, so they encamped there (33:9).” “They set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim; it was there that the people had no water to drink (33:15).” It’s a breezy, Cliff’s Notes version of the journey.
I am struck by what’s missing from the list: the complaining, the golden calf, the angry pounding on the rock, the spies’ debacle. The Torah, it seems, has white washed the story.
Or perhaps the Torah is giving the Israelites a gift—helping them tell a different story. This version allows them to see themselves not as rebellious whiners, but as travellers. True, the Generation of the Desert was stiff-necked, but they were also adventurers who made the long trek from the Nile to the Jordan. This new version allows the people not to see the failure, but rather the accomplishment. It’s all in the telling.
The stories we tell have power over us. They influence the way we see ourselves and the world around us. When things aren’t working in your life, try changing way you tell your story. Keep it truthful, but find a new emphasis—or re-discover a forgotten character. Turn a drama into a comedy, or vise-versa. A new narrative just might help you see things differently and shift your reality. It’s all in the telling.
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