Some of my favorite childhood movies have been remade this year, and I admit that I’m anticipating my own comfy chair in front of the big screen. If I went, I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone.
This same fanbase occurs with books and novels. Chronicles penned by the human imagination seem to be birthed out of a God-planted desire for storytelling. We don’t just want to hear it or see it; we want to experience it.
Human beings have always been mesmerized by a good story. That’s why movie producers are rich.
But what else am I purchasing with a movie ticket? What kind of “tale” are they really telling?
You could say that the Bible is a “story”—the greatest story ever told. It represents the most invigorating drama that ever captured the hearts and minds of its audience. And it’s also the story I live to tell.
The first pages begin with the origin of the universe and the purpose for every living creature. Intense action covers thousands of years, depicting love affairs and wars and angels and demons. Within the storyline we find greed, jealousy, hatred, sex, betrayal, hopelessness, draught, famine, depression, and death. Some stories I cannot even share with my children yet.
Every scenario is portrayed with honest candor, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. The overarching plot pivots upon one character who was murdered by the scheme of lying men. And the climax hangs in our imagination as yet to be seen.
But the reason why the impact of the Bible is inescapable is because it’s true. It presents itself as a non-fiction book inspired by the very breath of God. Couple that reality with the fact that the Bible has endured the greatest scrutiny the secular mind has ever conjured. No attack against the veracity or reliability of the Scriptures has ever punctured a hole in its integrity.
Only a fool would turn a deaf ear to the testimony of his Creator.
The Bible stands in a league of its own. Undeniable, unavoidable, infallible, and unashamed of its content. Its followers champion the call to die to self, and still call it the Good News. In one sense, the last chapter has been written. In another, we don’t know exactly how the last days will unfold. The pages are ancient but alive, challenging us to examine our hearts and lives.
It is the meta-narrative of the universe. And yet, the whole account forces us to answer one ultimate question: “Who do you say Christ is?” It’s a record that draws us to a person—a relationship.
I may go to the movies this summer. I may be entertained. But I won’t be fooled. I know what my heart is hungry for. And there’s only one Author that satisfies my appetite.
-Pastor Jack