Metanarrative

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.