It's taken me 40+ years to figure out the power in a good story. Well, that's not quite true, because I haven't figured it out yet. I just know that a good story connects with me in unexplainable ways.

Robert McKee captured the essence of that in his book, aptly titled Story (a sort of bible for screenwriters). A fellow blogger writes about McKee's writing and says:

"The author argues that life rarely provides the opportunity to blend thought (intellect, reasoning, meaning) with feeling (high emotion); they're too often separate experiences.  It's in art & especially story that those powerful elements find harmony.  He discusses how the blending of those experiences is so rare that when encountered, it can feel like a religious experience or an epiphany."

She goes on to say, "Story raises us up to the heavens and brings us back down to feel our own humanity.  It graces us when we least expect it and can become seared in our memories for a lifetime."

I agree. And recently I've found no better stories told than in television drama. Here are some TV shows that have connected to me at the deepest level:

• Saving Grace - has made me aware again that God loves us and pursues us even when we are unlovable.
• Sons of Anarchy - reminded me there is a deep sense of community that everyone longs for, even those very far from God.
• Tudors - I've learned about the history of the church, the danger in absolute power, and the confusion that comes when church and state are too closely aligned.
• West Wing - I've just finished the first season and am learning much about leadership.

What good stories have you heard that have "become seared in your memory"?