Of Stories Changing our Lives

One of the things that is rudimentary to human nature is identification through story. Even the word Gospel just fundamentally means "good news" or "good story". People are glued to their televisions day by day not only to keep up on important current events, but to hear about stories that the news media feels are interesting enough to warrant airtime. One of the things that is evaluated when we discuss the quality of movies is whether or not the story was a good one. The new popular type of television show is one that has a continual storyline from episode to episode, as 24's immense popularity shows us (I would like to mention as a soapbox comment that 24 and any other show with a continual storyline "arc" would never had occured if not for Babylon 5 (which did a much better job also), but that's another rant...) We live in a society that, like every society before it, is surrounded on every side by stories.

One of the most important stories for us to remember is the story of our history. This is true on many levels and facets--Texas A&M requires their students to have HIST 105 and 106 (American history) because they feel that it is important to know the story of our nation's history. Many people speak to their close friends about their past in an effort to make others understand them more--they are connected to the stories of what they have done and what has happened to them in the past. Many consider one's testimony, the story of how they came to know Jesus, to be a very important story, and one to look back to when times are rough.

All of these, however, are overshadowed by the story. Most likely, everyone reading this knows exactly what story is the story--I referred to it above: The Gospel. Most Christians never tire of hearing the Good News that the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for them to wipe away their sin from God's sight and make them justified before God. What an amazing story of love, of sacrifice, of grace and mercy.

Stories affect all of us on a profound level. I am a different person because of some of the stories I have read, TV shows I have watched, movies I have seen, and things that have occured in my life (of my own doing and otherwise) in the past. But no story has affected me or any other Christian more than the Gospel, because there we find peace with God such as we cannot know otherwise. I want to constantly remember that great story and how profoundly it affects me, because through what happened there, in that story, I find salvation, find grace, find mercy, and find peace. Everything else that occurs in my life should filter through that transforming story.

"When in Jesus Christ our trust is, justice smiles and asks no more. He has washed us with His blood, He has brought us nigh to God" (Newton)

Luke