If life has no meaning, stories have no meaning either.
However, our Creator gave our lives meaning – and He did the same with stories, too. God is the deciding factor in whether one believes there is a purpose for life and if one thinks there is a use for fiction.
Occasionally a sour internet troll will point out the apparent foolishness of fiction and the “meaninglessness” of completely fabricated worlds, lives, and struggles.
Spending hours at a time immersed in a story that never happened does seem wasteful or foolish at first sight, yet the Scripture, the life stories of Ronald Reagan and Albert Einstein, and especially the example of Christ point to a very different conclusion.
Stories shape societies, transform minds, and unleash scientifically useful creativity in ways that non-fiction and academic writing can rarely accomplish. Christians should utilize and embrace stories. The concept that stories are meaningless, if not a humanist idea, is a misguided one.
Stories can change the moral state of world. That Printer of Udell’s, by Harold Bell Wright, inspired Ronald Reagan to take a stand and become a Christian – stirring convictions that later motivated him to become involved in politics and later, to run for President. Children’s bedtime stories influence not just playtime, but their lives. Young adult fiction moves teenagers to study different subjects or even pursue different careers. Classic books have molded generation after generation of readers.
Literature shapes morality and life choices, for better or for worse.
From a moral point of view, stories are invaluable; but when it comes to practical critical thinking skills and science, fiction is usually regarded as “worthless.” That is likewise not true.
Albert Einstein disagreed: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
Nonsense stories spur creativity and critical thinking. Is it possible for a frog to turn into a prince, or vice-versa? Does it make sense for something to be bigger on the inside? Can people fly if they try hard enough?
Some nonsense technology in the 1960s television show Star Trek has actually come to pass; not because of the show, of course, but it does demonstrate an important factor in human invention: imagination. Considering the impossible and exploring the unreachable is a big part of changing the world.
In addition to shaping societal morals, encouraging imagination and invention, spurring critical thinking, and influencing lives, fiction shows us ourselves in a new light. In 2 Samuel, the Prophet Nathan does not rebuke David directly for his adultery and murder. Nathan explained the situation in an unconventional way: through a story. David became indignant at what Nathan told him about the man in the story (who, despite having many sheep, stole a poor man’s only lamb).
He said, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” After Nathan explained that it was David who had committed the act when he killed Uriah for Bathsheba, he saw the sin in an entirely new light. Stories show us ourselves and reveal the truth even when we likely don’t want to hear it.
Finally, Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Jesus’ parables and Nathan’s revelation to David are just a few Biblical examples of useful storytelling. They are stories with a purpose, a direct theme, that cut to the deepest corners of men’s hearts.
Storytelling is another way to imitate Christ — and change the world to boot.
~ Rachel Clark
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