Every human, deep down, has innate longings that cannot be filled without God. One of those longings, I believe, is the longing for great stories.
Have you ever been watching a movie or reading a book that was an epic tale of heroics and courage, and then – you get to the end and you are just sad? Sad the story is over, sad you have to leave this make-believe world, sad it’s not real life? (Maybe this is just me…) Good storytelling points us toward the beauty and fullness that comes from God, and when we have to leave that place of wonder, we are often sad.
There are a few specific stories that cause me specifically to long for that Great Story that comes from God. When I finish, no matter how good the ending, I’m. So. Sad. So sad, sometimes, that I have to continue the story in my head so it’s not just over and gone.
One of these stories for me is the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I enjoy the movies moderately (I start strong with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and get less and less enthused with each progressing film…) but whether I like the movie a lot or not, I’m always super sad when I finish the story. Like, pathetically sad.
Another is Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien – that story has a FANTASTIC ending, in my opinion, but even that cannot keep me from moping around after I’ve finished. There is just something about a fantasy story that is well done that makes me long for it in real life.
I don’t really know what exactly this means, but I think it shows the human need for good stories and the human need for God. The stories that touch us the most have deeper meaning. Meaning that touches that need for God. I think this is something to observe.
-Kaetrianne Ramer
