Many Stories Matter

The existence of four different gospels should be a constant reminder to Christians of how important it is to hear different perspectives. Matthew loves the Old Testament prophecies, while Luke can’t help but center marginalized people over and over, while John waxes philosophical, while Mark’s action pounds relentlessly as he uses the word and…and…and more than any other book in the Bible. They are different, and they are supposed to be. Listen in to Luke’s intro and how he frames it:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us… With this in mind… I too decided to write an orderly account. - Luke 1:1-3

How do you feel about the Bible having different takes on the same events? How does that sit with you? And how do you feel about listening well to those whose faith journey is different than yours - and learning from them? Take a moment with the following two insights and ask the Spirit what God is saying to you today:

In thinking about how a dominant narrative can marginalize people, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reflects: Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.

In thinking about how many different perspectives we get in scripture, often about the very same events or issues, Old Testament scholar Christopher Wright writes: We are listening, not to a single voice, not even to a single choir in harmony, but to several choirs singing different songs with some protest groups jamming in the wings.