See a photo of Gregg, his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 3, and Part 4.
Q&A with Gregg Morris, Question 5:
Q: If you could identify a person or organization who desperately needs to tell a better story, who or what would it be?
A: I can’t pass this question up. I suppose at the moment BP would be first on just about everyone’s list but, hands down, I think it’s the Roman Catholic Church. Maybe it’s because I was raised a Catholic, was an altar boy, went to parochial schools, considered the seminary once upon a time (eeks!), my parents were both very devout Catholics, and my dad was a man of unshakable faith. Somehow or another I managed to avoid all of the abuse stuff as I was growing up. I think that it was the generation behind me, and those behind them, that really bore the brunt of all of that.
Regardless, they need to desperately tell a big, big story. It seems somewhat ironic, in this age of social media and storytelling, that an institution that could survive Gutenberg and an empowered Martin Luther and those who followed after him, one that was so rich in mystery and storytelling, is now faced with the storytelling and narrative challenges that they are.
I have no idea how that will all play out, but of one thing I am certain. The next pope will have an opportunity to reinvent the church, with the help of story I would think, like very few before him have. The College of Cardinals will need to elect a truly gifted storyteller. For my money, they need to pay close attention to what’s happening to institutional trust and process all around them for there are few, if any, institutions bigger than they are.