The Gift of Fiction

When my children were little, right around the time their misbehavior turned from mischievous to alarming, I would tell them the story of a baby bird who ended up as dinner for a large orange tabby when he didn't obey his mama. I used plenty of details and that hypnotic storytelling voice we mothers have to draw them into the world of this tiny creature so that they could identify with its choices and its consequences.

All these years later, my kids still remember the story, and tell me how horrible it was. But it did the job I created it to do, helped them to understand that they needed to obey me because I saw dangers they didn't. I could have just told them to do what I said because I was their mom, and I often did that. In fact, the first verse they memorized was Ephesians 6:1. (Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.) But while memorizing the words was important, the story made it real. It gave the lesson weight.

That's the thing about stories - they give us experiences we've never had and allow us to live vicariously through other characters. We learn while they learn, but without the consequences. We cringe at their poor decisions and cheer for their good ones. And, along the way, we develop empathy, a trait sorely needed in today's world.  

Even Scripture is filled with stories that teach and many have become iconic images that stay with us for life. A simple description and the mind recalls the whole tale and the lesson it taught. Nathan's account of the poor man's lamb brought David to his knees. Jesus' simple story about a proud son, humbled and the father who ran to welcome him back home shocked his listeners. Two thousand years later, people still hear that parable and are moved by the shattering truth of God's love for the prodigal. The Good Samaritan, The Pearl of Great Price, The Lost Sheep - all stories illustrating profound truths.

So, bring on the stories! I'm an unashamed fan of the happy ending. Let me read about Good battling Evil in all its forms. I want to read about people struggling because the triumph at the end of the story mirrors the ultimate triumph at the end of all things. The world can be a heavy, dark place and we are often beset on all sides. Good fiction shows that. And then, in some way, it shows the light breaking through. I don't know about you, but I love that.