Life is story, or a collection of stories perhaps.  Sharing your story, especially the one that involved your relationship with Christ, is part of what we are called to do.

Tokoni, a relatively new service, is all about stories, in addition to “helping” each other out.

Here’s their official invitational email:

We’re glad to have you in the community. In case you are wondering, Tokoni is the Tongan word for “help.” Whether your story is informative, inspirational, or just plain entertaining, you can be assured your first-hand experience will impact someone else. There may be a Tokoni member (“Toko”) out there looking to connect with someone with a story like yours.

In addition, here are some of the things that a Toko can do:

Share Share a true story, life experience, knowledge, or passion. Click on the “add story” link on the upper right of the page, and start writing. All first-hand accounts are welcome. You can even use Tokoni to write your autobiography, one story at a time.

Explore Use browsing tools on the homepage to find stories and real life experiences based on categories, keywords, or genres. You can browse by location using the explore the world map on th e homepage, or simply follow the connections that appear in the bubble browser found under “explore the universe.” If you are looking for a specific story or Tokoni member, try the search box on the top of every page.

Connect When you read a story that reminds you of one your own stories, you can connect the two stories using the “connect to a story” tool. You can also form connections by starting a “hub.” A hub is a way to collaboratively and publicly share and discuss stories around one topic.

Chime in! If you relate, are intrigued, or have something to say on the issue, be sure to join the discussion by leaving a comment or question for the author. You can also reward the stories you like by giving “tokens.”

While all of this and more is nothing new, taking a look under the hood provides some interesting functions, such as the cool bubble browser that visually displays how you’re connected to others as well as the particular categories that you may have written about:

This idea about “Social Storytelling” isn’t a new concept, historically, and Jesus was the absolute MAN when it came to engaging his audience with the element of story.  Having it being taken one step further online, perhaps, is an encouragment because it’s one step closer to helping others see that their lives are a part of a much larger story than just their own.

There are some other very interesting ideas with Tokoni, but unsure of whether it’ll really take off.  I do like the idea of focusing more upon the story than individual users, but I think there’s enough ego in all of us to want the story to be about us more than the collective whole.

Who knows.

Check it out.  It’s live, kicking, excepting registrations, and drop a story or two.