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Longing for a Magnificent Story
What kind of life does the Christian story give rise to? This question is important, since the answer to it determines the shape of our spirituality.
Simon Chan
When my daughter Hope was little, I told her a bedtime story every night. I read her the usual books—Goodnight Moon andWinnie-the-Pooh—but her favorite stories were the “made-up ones.” The made-up ones started when we were a bit rushed, having gotten in late, and I wanted to turn the lights out so she could get a full night’s sleep. This was a bit of lazy parenting on my part. She asked for a book, but I said, “No, it’s late, and time for lights out.”
“But I want a story, Daddy,” Hope pleaded.
“Okay, I will tell you a story,” I said. So I thought about it and got an idea. I would tell a story in whichshe would be the main character.
“Once upon a time,” I began, “there was a giant who lived all alone in a beanstalk in the sky. He had a goose who could lay golden eggs. Then one day a little girl named Hope . . .” She let out a subtle gasp. She was not expecting it. I looked at her and she looked at me, and she smiled. I went on to tell the rest of the story, all the way up to the “The End.” It was time to pray and go to sleep, but she was not ready. She was full of energy. My parenting trick had backfired.
“Tell it again, Daddy, please tell it again.”
Years later, when she was a teenager, Hope told me those were her favorite bedtime stories. I reflected on why and have concluded she loved those best becauseshe was in the story, not just witnessing it. I think it is the clue to understanding how we are designed. We were made not just to enjoy stories but to enter them. We long to take our lives, our stories, and merge them with another story. This is truly what we long for. But we desire more than a children’s bedtime story. We were made for something much bigger.
That is a common question we ask when we are getting to know someone. We are asking things like, “Where are you from? Are you married? What do you do for a living?” Once we gather this information, we come to know their story. But I ask this question with a different intent. When I ask to know someone’s story, I want to know what story they are living by. What story is shaping their life?
We are story-making people. We love stories (Once upon a time . . . ). Our narratives help us make sense of our world. The big questions in life are, What is God like? Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What can I count on? What is the good life? What are my deepest needs? When we put together our answers we have ametanarrative, a large story that is capable of answering life’s key questions. This story operates at a higher level, and once it is adopted it becomes a part of our unconscious mind. We do not have to think about the story consciously. We realize it’s there only when it has been threatened.
Our stories are running our lives—in ways we may not even be aware of. Let’s say your family led you to believe you are inadequate. They communicated this to you in many ways, usually not through words. Perhaps it was a disappointed glance or a failure to listen to you. The story of your inadequacy becomes a defining narrative of your identity, and it wi
