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The Importance of Story

"The way we understand human life depends on what conception we have of the human story. What is the real story of which my life story is a part?" - Lesslie Newbigin

As Ordinary Time comes to an end and we look forward to Advent, the season that marks the beginning of the church year, we enter a natural space to talk about the importance of story. Jesus' story, after all, is what the liturgical calendar is all about.

The concept of "story" is a loaded one. More than beginning, middle, and end--which are usual elements--it implies a sense of purpose, an overarching force taking the protagonist on a journey in the world and within themselves. We each have a story--we each live a story.

When it comes to talking about our faith, we are talking not about a story but about a metanarrative--a story about a story. The Scriptures point us to a God who loves all people, a Christ who was the incarnation of that love, and a Holy Spirit that empowers the work of God's people. This is a story about a story. It is the larger story into which all of our little stories fit, the "real story of which my life story is a part."

How, then, do the Scriptures shape our understanding of the purpose behind life?

They give us a framework on which we can drop the messy, incomprehensible, joyous, strange fabric of our lives. The story of the Scripture can (loosely) be arranged into four movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation.

Creation, as we see it in Genesis 1 and 2, is a world of shalom, or flourishing. The world was created, filled and subdued, and it was very good. Adam and Eve were together and without shame. There were animals and trees heavy with fruit and rivers to water the trees. It was a perfect world, and everything was in right order with everything else.

The Fall is told in Genesis 3, and with it we learn of the curse humanity incurred when the first sin was committed. Death was introduced to a world previously thriving, and people destined to return from the dust from which they had come. The fall is full of drama--separation from God, a sentence of exile, a flaming sword and an angel guarding the entrance to the garden. It is the deep crack in the foundation of of the good world God had made.

Redemption is like Ordinary Time. It is the longest stretch of the Bible, filled with songs and poems and stories. In redemption, we hear from the Prophets that God has a plan for his people. We learn that God is trustworthy and good. We see the highest moment of redemption in Christ's resurrection; the temple that rose three days after it had been torn down. Redemption is a story of a person, and because of that person, imperfect people like you and I are able to know God directly.

New Creation is what the story points us to. We do not wait any longer for a Messiah--now we wait (and work) for a world made new. Knowing it won't come overnight or by our own effort, we also know that we have the opportunity to create pockets of shalom in our small corners of the earth. Just as we are being renewed daily by the work of the Holy Spirit, we become supporting characters in the story of renewal everywhere we go.

Story is important because it is the tool with which we remind ourselves of the truth. We live out the entirety of the Biblical story--creation, fall, redemption, new creation--every day, and so we can attest to its place in our lives. But the truth of the Scriptures aren't just in us; we also are in them. The story we find ourselves in is the story of a good and loving God who made us, made the world, and draws us to himself always.

The story, too, is part of our organizing structure as a church. It is our metanarrative, and it is part of why we are offering this series of luncheons with Old Testament scholar Pete Enns, master practitioner Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, and New Testament scholar Daniel Kirk. These folks, with vast reserves of knowledge about the intricacies of the story, can give us insight into it that we would otherwise spend a lifetime pursuing on our own.

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