God’s Stories
God gives us Life. Life gives us Stories. Stories point to God.
In the beginning there was nothing. Nothing of what we now call everything. There was something. Actually, there was Someone. Where and when that Someone existed is beyond human comprehension as we were not there at that time. We came later. Although there was no “later” in that fair plane of existence. Some say there was no time until our universe came into existence. But before our universe was formed there was time-fullness in the realm of God.
Many will argue about Who or what brought our universe into existence. However we cannot argue that the universe began with energy, a great powerful burst of finely tuned energy from an infinitely small point and that energy began to form and fill what we now know as our space time continuum. Energy, movement, formation, decay, death and ultimately LIFE.
One of the most astonishing facts no one argues about is the universe demonstrates at least an appearance of design. And that design appears to be intentional. We call that intentionality the anthropic principle. The anthropic principle states that everything that has ever happened occurred in just the right quantity and quality from the moment of the cosmic creation event to bring about life as we know it on planet Earth and specifically, mankind.
Often there is an effort to demote humanity to nothing more than a highly evolved bag of meat. Recent advances in the science of human exceptionalism would indicate otherwise. And if one does accept that God created the universe then one must admit that humans are exceptional because we are made in the “Image of God”.
One startling characteristic of humanity separating itself from other lifeforms is our capacity to understand and define reality through story. Why is it that story is so important to humanity? Is it because we are already a part of the Greatest Story of all time? Many philosophies and religions speak of a circular nature to reality. Everything that goes around comes around. The circle of life.
However, the story being written by God is linear. The universe had a beginning and is moving forward through linear time toward an ending. Scientific discoveries have confirmed this fact. Should we despair? NO! For there is a powerful collection of stories written by a multitude of authors spanning thousands of years forming one, cohesive Story; a Story that congeals coherently despite the separation across time; a Story that promises a new earth and a new universe. And man is promised the possibility of inhabiting such a universe.
Along the way these stories convey the truth of God’s universe and His nature and His power and His purpose. But these stories, as important as they are, should not overshadow the smaller stories of the people who struggle and fail or triumph in everyday life. For the struggle will point ourselves and others to God. Your story. My story. Everyone’s story. God uses stories to power our lives! His Son, God Incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth taught through sermons. However we most remember his actions and deeds — true dramatic real depictions easily recalled in stories. And his most powerful teaching tool was the parable!
God gives Life. Life gives Stories. Stories point back to God. Maybe this is the true Circle of Life! This blog/podcast is very simple. We will tell our stories. We will tell God’s story in our lives. We will talk about life and how God gives and changes it for His will. God-Life-Stories. Join us and prepare to tell your stories!