Discerning the Threads of a Story
Threads Form the Fabric of a Story
The fabric of a story is made up of numerous threads, but essential to a story worth reading are the threads of truth, those things that tie the story to the realities of life. One’s worldview (one’s conception of the realities of life in relation to their understanding of the world in general) will determine the nature of those threads. My worldview is rooted in what God tells us in His Word about the nature and realities of life and our world.
One’s worldview will inherently permeate a story. But I also weave distinct threads of biblical truth into the fabric of a story to provide insight into how truth applies to life. Christ often used stories to give “feet” to the truths He was teaching, to provide insight into a particular truth. I once wrote a story just for the sake of writing a story. I thought it was pretty good. However, when I read it to the writer’s group the response was, “Nice little story, but why read it, there is no takeaway.” The fabric of the story was lacking that thread of truth that would connect the narrative with the reader; a thread that stimulates the mind and emotions.
Jesus Used Stories to Illustrate Truth
For Christ the threads of a story had purpose. In Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus shares a parable. OK, so what is a parable? A parable is defined as a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth or moral lesson.”
