Today's Scripture Reading (January 18, 2021): Acts 7
I have
never been fond of true stories. On a significant anniversary, many years ago,
my wife convinced me to watch the 2006 movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"
with Will Smith. As an actor, I like Will Smith, but I would much rather watch "Men
in Black" or maybe even "Bright" than "The Pursuit of
Happyness." And after watching the struggle portrayed in the movie, I was
depressed for days. I mean, it was based on a true story. People to whom I have
related this story usually remind me that the story has a happy ending. And
yes, I did watch it to the end, but it doesn't help. All I could think of was
that the real Chris Gardner didn't know that his story would have a happy
ending in the middle of the struggle. In real life, happy endings are not assured.
Another friend
told me that her favorite movie, one that she could not get enough of, was the
2007 movie "Into the Wild." I had never heard of the movie, but she
lent me her copy of the film and made me promise to watch it. Spoiler Alert: "Into
the Wild" is another true story, and this one comes equipped with a
depressing ending; the hero dies. And once more, the movie left me depressed. I
can feel a sad mood coming on just thinking about the story.
So, leave
me with Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and any other unrealistic stories that
Hollywood might want to tell. I will leave the true stories to my friends who
enjoy them, and maybe that includes you.
However,
there is a problem with my plan. It doesn't matter what the movie is or the
novel that I might be reading. Every story is based, at least a little, in
reality. (If you are wondering, currently, that novel is the 1943 Pulitzer
Prize winning novel "Dragon's Teeth" written by Upton Sinclair.
Dragon's Teeth is a fictionalized account of a wealthy family living in Europe in
the days leading up to World War II; maybe I am just a glutton for punishment.)
I have friends who say they can't read science fiction or fantasy because they cannot
suspend their belief system. But the reality is that a good science fiction
story grounds itself in the world that we know, just like a good Bruce Willis
action thriller takes place in the world that we know.
And sometimes,
the story that we tell is really about something else. Stephen is telling a
story. It is a historical story and one that Stephen's audience knows well. But
there are also stresses in his report that are pointing in a different
direction. The retelling of Joseph and his brothers' story is important because
it mirrors the story of Jesus, who the leaders confronting Stephen are
rejecting. Both Joseph and Jesus were rejected by those who should have supported
them. Both were thought to have died; a brother spared Joseph and Jesus rose
again from the dead. And both became the Savior that the people needed.
Stephen
also stresses that God was with Joseph. Jesus. of course, is Emmanuel, which
means "God with us." In telling the story of Joseph, Stephen seemed
to be retelling the story of Jesus, trying desperately to get his message
across to his audience that his accusers were playing the roles of Joseph's
brothers. One day, in a moment of great stress, they were going to come face to
face with Jesus, and in need to receive deliverance that only Jesus will be
able to grant, just as Joseph's brothers came face to face with Joseph in need
of his help. It is a true story hidden with another true story, and there is no
doubt that Stephen's accusers understood both of the stories that Stephen is telling.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Acts 8
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