There is only one story; all the rest are either part of it
or based upon it. The most novel tale
draws its themes from the original, and the most epic fabrications are only
retellings of the true saga. All true accounts
are chapters in it, all men and women, great and small, its characters. It is a mystery, full of hints and clues of
what is yet to unfold. It is a romance,
full of love and passion and beauty. It
is an adventure, full of wildness, risk and reward. It has a Hero and a Villain, good guys and
bad guys, battles, quests, crimes, thrills, rescues, intrigues, surprises,
spectacular settings, poetic detail, plot twists, and page-turning
suspense. It has sad parts and scary
parts, but best of all, it has a happy ending, the real happily-ever-after. This is The Story, God’s Story, History.
Humans love stories. The most primitive cultures have elaborate story-telling traditions and
great regard for a man who can tell a spell-binding yarn. Modern peoples satisfy the story craving with
endless novels or personal accounts, trendy news reports, and the latest in the
film industry. We need stories. We want to be
part of them, to be the heroes we
admire. And we sense that in a way, we
are. Why has Disney’s Frozen been such a big hit? Because we know all too well what it’s like
to hide our fears and then blow up and shut people out to our own loss. Why has Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings gathered millions of fans? Because we know what it’s like to have all the
odds stacked up against us and be faced with evil much stronger than we
are. But stories like these remind us
that there is hope – true love wins, and the right is worth struggling for. They serve to illustrate truth for us in
terms we can readily identify with.
However, unless we understand The Story, God’s
Metanarrative, all stories lose their meaning and their truth is hidden,
leaving them nothing more than momentary entertainment. Our real life heroes fail us and our favorite
tales never get to the bottom of our need, because nothing less than the whole real
Story from beginning to perfect end will satisfy. The Bible has laid out the entire plot for
us, conflict, climax, and conclusion, with the details of many vitally
important scenes. Many more scenes got
left out, not because they were less important, but because there were plenty
included to illustrate all the truth we need – and for the sake of space, of
course (John 21:25)! Scripture is
complete, but certainly not exhaustive in terms of God’s great Story, for that
includes everything from the very beginning to the very end of this world, and
more besides. The threads running
through it all are more intricate and deliberate than a Dickens novel, and
there will be no loose ends.
Every one of us is part of this Story, and whether we will
remain in it for the perfect ending or drop out of it forever depends upon our
relationship with the Author. A proper
relationship with the Author also gives us the ability to see History and
fiction from the standpoint of His Metanarrative, as well as live our lives to
be a tale worth telling – but these take some investment. Challenge yourself to be more than just a
passive observer of stories – whether you’re reading a novel, watching a movie,
studying history, listening to the news, or even trying to understand a
confusing Biblical narrative, ask yourself: what is this saying about the Great
Story, or how does this fit into it? Above all, know the Great Author, and learn to see all story through His
eyes.