The Word for Writers

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ARE THERE SECRETS to the art and craft of storytelling? Can they be learned? Is there a divine story imprint upon creation? Is God a Storyteller?

For the Christian, no story is more beautiful nor more powerful than the story of Christ our Redeemer coming to earth, living among us, and offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. And regular readers of Scripture soon experience an epiphany when they realize that Christ's appearance on earth was not God's afterthought, but rather the fulfillment of His Master Plan from the very beginning.

Yes, God is the Master Storyteller. Since before Adam’s first breath, God's story has been playing out across the stage of our terrestrial globe - a theatre of grand proportions. He created the sweeping drama of nations, kingdoms, tribes and souls.

Seeing a familiar design in every good story, I decided to write a short treatise to examine the art and craft of storytelling from a Godly perspective. My goal is to demonstrate that God's story is really the universal template for all good stories. In the same way that Scripture uses allegory(1) to communicate God’s message, this article will also employ the allegorical form to aid the reader. Sometimes allegories can assist us in portraying Biblical truths quite effectively enabling us to better comprehend God’s nature, His character, His plans, and His purposes.

By studying Scripture we learn that life is not haphazard - that nations and individuals do not appear out of nowhere and that they do not exist without purpose. We begin to understand that history is actually an extensive drama crafted by God for His own glory. History is, after all, a story - His story.

Drama is defined as a succession of events or a progression of incidents having a starting and ending point and producing an emotional effect. Before actors are engaged in any dramatic production, three key positions must be staffed - playwright, producer and director. In the providential(2) view of His story, God fills all three roles.

GOD THE PLAYWRIGHT. First, God is the all-knowing playwright, scripting a story laden with majestic themes - a story filled with conflict, failure, defeat, bravery, heroism and victory. As playwright, God insures that it is His story being told and that it is His heart which is being communicated. He masterfully crafts every unique character - both nations and individual souls. He foreknows how they will act, move and respond through every scene.

GOD THE PRODUCER. Second, behind every dramatic production, whether local theater, Broadway musical, or film, stands a second key player - the producer. The producer is the visionary who brings all the pieces together. He gathers the resources and has ultimate ownership over the final production. As the producer of history, God carries the entire burden for insuring the success of His story.

GOD THE DIRECTOR. Finally, between the playwright and producer stands the director. God fills this role too. He involves Himself intimately with every component of His historical drama. He is present at the production site, moving characters and props, setting stages and making sure the actors know their roles and lines. He oversees the production scene by scene. He selects costumes and supervises the construction of scenery, then coaches and instructs all of His players in their roles.

The beauty and majesty of the whole heavenly storytelling process is that God somehow manages to fill all three of these roles while still allowing for the element of free will amongst men and nations. What a marvelous, mysterious God we serve!
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(1) al·le·go·ry n. 1.a. A literary, dramatic, or pictorial device in which characters and events stand for abstract ideas, principles, or forces, so that the literal sense has or suggests a parallel, deeper symbolic sense. Copyright 1992 American Heritage Electronic Dictionary

(2) Providence. The concept and belief that God is the power sustaining and guiding human history and destiny. "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Eph 1:11 NIV)

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