Get Your Pretense On!

Chapter 2: The Principle of Reversal and the Upside-Down Kingdom of God • 39

story will be what we count to be true, right, and good. If we are wrong in our choice of what the world truly means, we might be in danger of having wasted our entire lives on things that don’t really matter at all.

Worldview = The StoriesWe Tell Ourselves to Make Sense of Our Lives

In the last chapter I provided an overview of the role that God’s story should play in the life of a follower of Christ. I have always loved stories, been shaped by stories, and have sought to learn the craft of telling good stories. Dr. Leland Ryken, one of my professors from Wheaton College, shared passionately and persuasively with us on the richness of story in literature, film, and the arts. In stories we come to see the centrality and complexity of human experience, the richness of human affections, and the use of our imaginations (i.e., our ability to create and live in worlds made plain in the stories we tell). In human fictional stories we come to see and feel the power of concrete image, action, and symbol, the ability to enter into new spaces of heightened reality, and the joy of seeing the artistic craftsmanship of a story well told. William J. Bausch lists ten propositions related to story theology that help us understand the significance and importance of the study of stories and the understanding of Bible and theology. 8

1. Stories introduce us to sacramental presences .

2. Stories are always more important than facts .

3. Stories remain normative ( authoritative ) for the Christian community of faith.

4. Christian traditions evolve and define themselves through and around stories.