Storytelling for Life
Katie Grosh Published: February 24, 2026
Stories have always been at the center of my life. As a child, I read constantly—stories of animal intelligence (Koko the Gorilla), generosity (The Quiltmakers Gift), and creation (Old Turtle). I told my own stories through imaginative play, often outdoors. In my faith community, I heard stories of stewardship as a call to care for the earth. Stories and storytelling are deeply ingrained as part of our human experience, even from the youngest of ages, and these help expand our imaginations and understandings of the other-than-human world.
As I grew older, textbooks and the conversations in class offered me new stories about geology, ecology, theology, economics, and the built environment. The stories deepened, expanded, and became more nuanced and textured as I heard from different voices. I realized some of the stories I grew up with had other perspectives: mutual aid rather than charity; sufficiency rather than infinite growth; rest rather than endless productivity; liberation rather than domination.
One of my favorite ways to storytell these days is through preaching. Preaching offers an opportunity to take an old story—say, from a sacred text—and tell it in a new way, relating it to the current moment. I connect monthly with EcoPreacher Cohort, offered through The BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries, to collaborate with other pastors and chaplains who also want to faithfully speak about climate change, environmental justice, and our relationship with the more-than-human world. I try to tell stories of kinship, interdependence, and mutuality.
Beyond sermons, there are many other ways I engage in storytelling and story listening: podcasts, music, art, even social media. By making reels for Living Earth Community, I hope that these short visual stories will pique your curiosity, and maybe even plant seeds for future deep dives into the living archives of this website and its expansive bibliography.
Tyler explained to me that the Living Earth Community blog is like a vine: growing and publishing organically, connecting voices and weaving together ideas. I also see this as a space for multimedia storytelling that is slightly longer than social media allows while remaining digestible. So stay creative and curious. Join in the journey of listening and learning together as this blog continues to share stories from different perspectives.