I have been reading a book by Herbert Anderson and Edward Foley called Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals: Weaving Together the Human and the Divine. In one section they write: “Mythic narratives comfort us and assure us that everything is going to be all right; parables challenge and dispute the reconciliation that our myths have created” (p. 15).
I have always admired writers such as Mark Twain who could toss off piquant/pithy quotes as easily as the ashes off his cigar. I find creating memorable and original quotes difficult; however, based upon Anderson and Foley’s perspective, I think I have a pretty good one below.
“If myths help us sleep at night, parables keep us awake.”
David M. May
NTStudies 
Nice.
And I remember a few quotes from being in your classes.
If you would like I can throw one or two back at you.
I would be interested in any memorable aphorisms you remember from all these years ago. This would be a good exercise with former students because it might give a feel for occurred with preserving the oral tradition from Jesus. Thirty to forty years after Jesus, the Gospels writers are attempting to remember and preserve the sayings of Jesus. How accurate will quotes be several years after being uttered? I am eager to see which ones make it into the Gospel of May.
“Don’t neglect the ministry of letters.”
Yes, I remember. Thanks for example. A graduate of this last May wrote me a nice thank you note, and he mentioned writing the note by hand because of what I said about the ministry of letters.
I like the way Clarence Jordan talked about Jesus’ parables being like Trojan horses.