To Tell a Better Story
Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz) has become the postModern evangelical writer to read in the past year or so. I would agree that he has quite a wonderful way of bringing the Gospel to life for this postModern age. Here, from Christianity Today is an example:

"Okay," he starts, "what are some of your favorite movies?"

A murmur of response—"Come on!" Miller encourages—and then people start shouting out titles. The Matrix! A Beautiful Mind! The Straight Story! Finding Nemo! The audience oohs and aahs at each other's choices. Little Women! Napoleon Dynamite! It's a Wonderful Life! The shouting goes on for a while; they forget this is a workshop.

"Okay, great," Miller says, bringing attention front and center. "Now, call out your favorite parts of the Nicene Creed."

Awkward giggles throughout the room—they know they've been had. Then one man pipes up: "It's a wonderful life!"

Miller laughs along with, maybe louder than, everyone in the room. He's enjoying that his point was made for him: We know our movies better than we know our creeds. And now self-help banalities—Your life can be wonderful—compete for our attention with the classic truths of the Christian story.

In the next half hour, Miller delivers a variation on a theme ascendant in evangelical Christianity: Truth is rooted in story, not in rational systems. The Christian mission is not well served when we speak in terms of spiritual laws or rational formulas. Propositional truths, when extracted from a narrative context, lack meaning. "The chief role of a Christian," he says, "is to tell a better story."
--Christianity Today online

Two things struck me in this that really resonated with what I believe.

First, that theology, rational systems, and formulas for faith are empty when separated from their underlying story (experience). That's what I talked about in my sermon Sunday and is a central foundation of how liberation theology's Base Communities returned the Gospel to the people in Latin America. As a Christian we have, as Miller says, "a better story" to tell. It is an all-encompassing story. Religion and spirituality in general have such a story which is what makes them so powerful. These are stories that go beyond- transcend is the fancy word- our daily lives and infuse them with meaning.

The second thing I liked about what Miller said is challenging us to take the story as seriously as we do the stories our culture presents, such as movies and TV shows. We even miss that often these "culture stories" are actually retelling of our story. I still remember the first time I read the 3rd book in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King that the language and style was right out of the Christian story of the return of Jesus. It made a great story "better."

I was once asked why I think evangelism is important. Why should I share my faith? My answer was that for me I have heard a story, experienced a reality in that story, that is far more truthful that many truths. It is one that has changed my life and moved me in new directions. If I am so willing to share with others the latest great movie I have seen or the inspiring book I have just finished, why am I so reluctant to share the very roots of my life?

Miller does this well, of course, in his books and lectures. I am glad for the challenge he gives us to live our lives in the story- the better story- the Good News.