The psychological process of denial involves refusing to see what is in front of us, and for some time we have been struggling to shape master narratives to encompass climate breakdown. Jesus' longer parables offer insight into the possibilities that are hidden within the hierarchies of power. Through the work of understanding the experiences of all the parable actors, we are invited to practice the empathy required to face the global challenges of the twenty-first century.

Richard Q. Ford (1936-2019) worked as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist for over forty years. He is coauthor with Sidney J. Blatt of Therapeutic Change (1994) and author of The Parables of Jesus (1997) and The Parables of Jesus and the Problems of the World (Cascade, 2016).