The ME in MEtanarrative

Several years ago, a national news network regularly showed a segment on TV called "Everyone Has a Story" (at least, I think that is what it was called).  The news network would randomly choose a city, open the phone book and randomly choose a name, and then interview that person and air their story.  It was an enjoyable feature, sharing stories of everyday Americans.  Every one of us has a story that we'd be happy to tell to whoever asks.  Unfortunately, though, the stories we tell about ourselves are only about us.


A metanarrative can be defined as a view that encompasses the whole world, or a belief system that explains everything in the world.  A metanarrative is basically one story that describes all of reality.  You know, like the Bible.


French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard wrote that he defined postmodernism (a dominant, self-centered worldview) as "incredulity toward metanarratives" (as quoted here).  In other words, there are no overarching, all-encompassing explanations.  That way, instead of believing God's truth about the world, we can all have our personal, contradicting bits of truth and reality, because, ultimately, truth and reality don't exist.  We live for pleasure, comfort, entertainment, and the pursuit of happiness.  Sounds fun, right?


Those who hold such views might have a difficult time understanding the Pilgrims.


In 1620, 102 English Christians sailed for America on the Mayflower.  Because of their unpopular religious views, they had been persecuted in England.  They had high hopes for their time in America, but they also realized the gravity of their decision.  After two months aboard a very crowded ship, the Pilgrims finally reached America in November of 1620.  They were now safe from stormy seas and no longer had to live in cramped quarters below deck.  Unfortunately, their troubles were far from over.


That winter, half of the Pilgrims died.  The Mayflower stayed in the harbor through the winter, providing shelter for those who needed it.  How the Pilgrims must have despaired as they found themselves without human help in a foreign, wintry land while their friends and family members were succumbing one by one to disease.  When spring finally came and the spread of the disease was halted, the Mayflower left the shores of America to return home.  This was the Pilgrims' chance to retreat to the safety and comfort of Europe!  Yet not one Pilgrim returned.


They, of all people, knew of the danger.  They felt the sting of loss.  They knew that the coming months would be full of toil, hardship, and more death.  Yet they stood fast.


As Winston Churchill once wisely said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."  Sometimes we don't like the truth, but it is still the truth.  And the truth is, there is only one metanarrative - and we didn't write it.  The Bible informs us that God had a plan before time began.  We weren't around for consultation.


The Pilgrims pursued their goal - not for individual accomplishment, but for the advancement of the Christian faith.  Not for comfort, but for the betterment of the future generations who would come behind them.  Not for the pursuit of happiness, but for the glory of God.  They understood that God had a metanarrative, and was weaving their stories for His glory.  This knowledge - and God's grace - sustained them through times and trials of disease, danger, and death.


The news network had it right - we all have a story.  Ultimately, however, our stories are not about us, but about how God has orchestrated our lives into His great story.  The big story of God gives our little stories meaning.  Sometimes we hear stories that didn't end like we would have written them.  What about the Pilgrims who perished that first, cold winter?  What was the purpose?  Why would God lead them on such a long journey only to have them die when they get there?  When we realize that God has a plan bigger  than our few years on earth, we can understand that, as hard as it may be for our earthly eyes to see, there is a plan, and God is in charge.

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Risky Responsibility

Hans and Sophie with
a fellow collaborator

Hans and Sophie Scholl were a brother and sister living in Nazi Germany.  Unlike most of their peers, the two were not taken in by Nazi lies, and they refused to stand by and watch their countrymen blindly believe the Nazi propaganda.  Secretly, at the possible risk of their lives, they began distributing anti-Nazi literature, exposing the lies of the Nazi regime...and one day they were caught.


It seems that modern Christians don't always know what to do with their culture.  Some want to hide from it (the Amish come to mind).  Others see nothing wrong with living just as those around them live - and their similarities show.  The divorce rate among Christians looks more like the culture than the Scriptures.  Young adults are walking away from the church in droves; why stay when nothing is different?


John Stonestreet, of Summit Ministries and Breakpoint Radio, in a lecture titled "Christianity and Culture," reminds Christians that we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world.  Christians can have one of three responses to our culture, Stonestreet says.  We can be offended by our culture and withdraw from it, but then we wouldn't be in or of the world.  Or, as many other Christians are, we could be distracted by our culture and assimilate it.  However, then we would not only be in the world, but we would also be of it - living just like everybody else in a culture of darkness where we are called to be light.  The final approach Christians can take to culture is to be engaged in the culture and faithful to the gospel.  In the world, but not of it.  Sometimes we find ourselves asking, "How far is too far?"  Instead, Stonestreet teaches that we should be asking, "'For what am I responsible?'"


Hans and Sophie Scholl didn't have to do what they did.  In fact, Hans wrote to a friend that it was tempting to just retreat to a serene haven outside of the hubbub of Nazi activity, ignore what was going on, and live as if everything was fine.  But he - and Sophie - chose a different path.  "Isn't seclusion a form of treachery - of desertion?" Hans wrote.  The decision was made.

"It's high time that Christians made up their minds to do something . . . What are we going to show in the way of resistance-as compared to the Communists, for instance-when all this terror is over? We will be standing empty-handed. We will have no answer when we are asked: What did you do about it?"

Hans Scholl

The brother and sister duo distributed pamphlets that counter-argued the Nazi propaganda and exposed their lies.  Eventually, they were caught and, ultimately, executed by the Nazis.

If they had seen what was coming, would they have still acted?  Probably.  They knew that some things are worth anything.

"How can we expect fate to let a righteous cause prevail when there is hardly anyone who will give himself up undividedly to a righteous cause?"

Sophie Scholl

Hans and Sophie Scholl have left an indelible legacy behind for all who would stand up for the truth in a culture that is falling for lies.  What will we be willing to risk?  How far are we willing to go?  For what are we responsible?

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn."

Sophie Scholl

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Stand Firm

In Old Testament Israel, as in most nations of that era, the king had great authority.  By a word from the king, the life of a anyone in the land could be ended.  In spite of this great risk, a lone prophet dared to stand before the King of Israel, the corrupt Ahab.  "'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word'" (1 Kings 17:1), the prophet asserted.  The God "before whom I stand."  Even though the prophet Elijah was standing before the most powerful man in the country, he made it clear that he really stood before God.  Ultimately, Elijah reported to God alone.

On February 4, 1906, twins were born to a couple in Germany.  Dietrich and his sister, Sabine, were born into a large, privileged family with a close and loving family life.  Little did the family guess the role Dietrich Bonhoeffer would play in his country's future.

Adolf Hitler quickly became an increasingly prominent figure in German politics.  In response to the state takeover of the church in Germany, Bonhoeffer began working in the Confessing Church, which had been organized in opposition to the state-run church.  He also began helping with seminary for the Confessing Church.

Bit by bit, the Nazi chokehold tightened on religious freedom in Germany.  The infamous Himmler declared the members of the Confessing Church liable to arrest.  Bonhoeffer was stripped of his teaching position at the Berlin University.  The seminary Bonhoeffer helped to start was shut down.  In November of 1937, over twenty of the pastors and former students of the seminary were arrested.  Later that month, Bonhoeffer wrote The Cost of Discipleship, calling Christians to a life of sacrifice.  Bonhoeffer certainly understood the possible cost in a way most others could not.  Silently, the Nazis continued to take away the rights of Bonhoeffer and other Christians in Germany's Third Reich.  Despite the risks, Bonhoeffer refused to be silent.  Working to undermine the Nazis, he persistently wrote truth and assisted the Resistance.  Even after his arrest in 1943, Bonhoeffer continued to write, refusing to back down in the face of adversity.  Ultimately, his boldness cost him his life.

Like Bonhoeffer, Elijah knew that he stood before the God of heaven and not a man on earth.  As human beings created by God, we are responsible to God alone.  No matter what threats we may face on this earth - be they unpopularity, embarrassment, danger, or even death - we have nothing to fear.  God is on our side.

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

According to Noah Webster, "boldness" means "confident trust" or "assurance."  We have victory through Jesus Christ!  Because of this assurance of victory, we can stand steadfast on earth and boldly work for the Lord.  He is the One for whom we work; He will reward us.


"Courage is contagious," noted Billy Graham.  "When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened."  Because of Bonhoeffer's example, we are encouraged to take a stand for the truth of God as well.  Who are we to fear man who dies (Isaiah 51:12-13)?  We are servants of the Most High God - we are called to boldness.

"We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.  One fear cures another." - William Gurnall

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

Ephesians 6:10-13, emphasis added

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Daring Few

Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel’s band!

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known. 

Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s band. 

Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel’s band. 

Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand!
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s band.

Faith in the Midst of...Fireworks?

I'm not really a big fan of fireworks.  Sure, they're spectacular to watch, but I prefer to keep the decibels in a comfortable range for my eardrums.  I guess my two-year-old brother has similar preferences.  Once the first few pops of the next-door-neighbors' fireworks went off, my little brother refused to take his hands off his ears - even though he was inside our house the whole time.  No matter how we reassured him or how we tried to distract him, his hands stayed firmly planted over his ears.  He would have none of it.

I wonder what Noah thought as he watched the waters rise.  It mist have been tempting to just close his eyes and plug his ears as the biggest storm earth had ever seen washed away everything Noah had ever known.  But faith triumphs over fear, and Noah "did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22).  God kept Noah and his family, as the song says, "safe and secure from all alarms."  I wonder what their prayers were as they offered the first sacrifices in the newly-washed world.  I wonder how bold and vibrant the first rainbow was.  Now that was a spectacular sight.

After Jesus' death, His disciples were understandably terrified.  Their Leader was going to save the world, but now that world had killed Him.  What must have been going through their minds as they grieved?  Locking themselves in a room, they hid from those who had killed their Master.  Essentially, they were closing their eyes and plugging their ears, hoping to wake up from their nightmare.  As a result, they were still in hiding when the women discovered the rest of the story God had written.  While the women going to the tomb were the first to know that their King had returned to life, the disciples had to hear the good news second-hand.  Their fear overcame their faith.

It's easy to let fear overrun faith.  It's hard to trust God's plan when ours is unraveling.

It's so easy to walk by sight and not by faith.  It's so hard to keep walking by faith when you can't see the next step.

It's hard to trust God when every fiber of your being tells you not to.

It's hard to take your hands off your ears when all your senses tell you to hide.

My little brother just couldn't find the faith to take his hands off his ears.  When we tried to talk to him, he couldn't hear us.  He wasn't able to listen very well to his movie that we hoped would distract him or to the soothing music we turned on in his room.  Eventually, long after all the pops and kabooms had subsided, he fell asleep with one hand still covering his ear.  We miss out on a lot when we choose to listen to our fears rather than have faith in our King.  You just never know what blessings we may receive from boldly opening our eyes and uncovering our ears.

After the Spirit came to Jesus' followers, the disciples were given a new-found boldness.  Not long after Christ's resurrection, Peter and John found themselves standing before the same council that had condemned Jesus to death.  Last time, the council made the disciples so afraid that they hid in a locked room for days!  This time, however, Peter and John boldly announced to the council that the followers of Christ answer to God and not to men.  When commanded not to speak in the name of Christ, they responded, "'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard'" (Acts 4:19-20).  The once fearful disciples had been changed by the God of the universe.  No matter what happened in their futures, they knew that they could trust their foundation.  There is no need for a Christian to fear!  As Peter said,

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 1:3-7

photo credit: Liz Noffsinger 

Stand for Something

"Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."

Peter Marshall