“The Power of Stories”

H,

                                                               

Before we can do anything, we must tell ourselves a story that we can. This is the endless power of stories. Imagination is not to be underestimated. All our best plans must start in dreams. We must not let how the world accepts or rejects this be the pointer to how far, deep, or wide we should dream. There is always a beautiful story afoot. We are simply learning the lines and where to stand.

We also believe in the most beautiful story there is. It has everything in it but also happens to be true. It has captured the imagination for two thousand years. It puts all of history into the context of light and dark, sin and redemption, love, and final grace. There is nothing like it. It also happens to be true. We know this and, at first, it fills us with terror. It is not a weak take on reality. It is the hardest version there is. It puts choice in context, sin in context, hurt in context and the limits of our physical world in context.

It has kept us through those dry days and hard years. It does not have a crystal ball, but it tells us things before they happen. It does not simple go from past to present but follows through into the future. We know why we are here right now and where we will be in the years and non-years to come. If we wake up and cannot see the light, we remember the story and it helps us to look again at present reality. Nothing now is permanent. The story reminds us that there is always much more to come.