Parables and Fiction (Part II)

This week is the second week of our “Fiction and Parables” blog article, which is focused on an analytical view of Jesus’ storytelling style through His parables, seeking a closer look at what kind of fiction the Christian storyteller can and can’t tell. In this second half, the goal will be to analyze the items in “Do” list to construct an overarching view of the positive goals for Christian storytelling.

If you missed last week or just forgot, here are the Parable “Do”s:

Parables DO:

• Convey a very specific, Godly truth, message, or idea.

• Use symbolism and metaphor.

• Appeal to a variety of human aspects, such as emotions, logic, cultural understanding, etc.

• Use relatable settings, interactions, characters, and props.

• Often call out specific behaviors or groups of people.

• Display sin.

• Glorify God (point people back to God).

Convey a very specific Godly truth, message, or idea.

The entirety of this blog series rests heavily on this particular item of the “Do” list. As stated in previous articles, all stories have a message of some kind, whether it be moral or theological. There is no escaping it. Even Jesus’ parables had both moral and theological messages within them, which gave each parable its entire purpose and reason for being. Christian storytelling should strive to do the same (which does not mean every story needs a sermon, but it’s core goal should be to convey a Godly message, whether covertly or overtly).

Use symbolism and metaphor

Using or not using symbolism and metaphor is no sin. Unlike the relatable elements, however, this is even more up to the storyteller and what they are trying to create. Metaphors and symbolism are fantastic ways to get a Godly message through to an audience without directly quoting the Bible or including a sermon somewhere in the story. Think of stories where the hero sacrifices themself only to come back to life to save the day. Perfectly symbolic of Jesus’ own sacrifice, without needing to break out Luke 23:26-43. If it fits into your story to use metaphor and symbolism, go for it!

Appeal to a variety of human aspects, such as emotions, logic, cultural understanding, etc.

If you read through the parables, you can see how Jesus adapted each one with a specific audience in mind. Some appealed to people who were more in touch with their emotions, some appealed to people who were more logical, some appealed more towards people who owned businesses, some appealed to mothers and housewives. While every parable is good and useful to every Christian, some were directed more towards certain kinds of people, mindsets, and occupations than others. In essence, some of the parables had more of a target audience than others (for example, the parable of the tenants in Mark 12 was directed specifically at the priests and religious leaders). All stories must have a target audience. While mainstream media seeks to appeal to the lowest common denominator — i.e., the widest audience — that can often lead to watered down stories. Choosing a specific group or demographic of people to create a story for helps the storyteller fine-tune their message, storytelling style, and format.

Use relatable settings, interactions, characters, and props

Rich men, tenants, wineskins, yeast, lamps, pots, brides, grooms, and so on and so forth. Jesus’ parables had strong elements that His audience was able to relate to. Elements that they could understand and that brought the true message of the story to their terms. Now, it is by no means a sin to have unrelatable elements in a story, but it is very good storytelling to do so. The best kinds of stories are the ones that the target audience can relate to; ones where they can find themselves in either the characters or the scenarios and see how that message applies to them directly. Who is your audience? What is their everyday life like and how can you weave that into a story?

Often call out specific behaviors or people

It is okay — it is even good — to call out sin in a kind and Godly way. Nobody likes it, but it is an important part of lifting up fellow Christians and even evangelism. Not every story needs to call out a specific sinful behavior, but for ones that do, here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Make sure it is an actual, Biblical sin, not just a cultural difference or open-handed theological disagreement. 2. Do so without insulting, mocking, or pointing superior fingers at those that are committing the sin. 3. Do so with the person’s heart and salvation in mind; don’t call out sin simply to call out sin, bring it to people’s attention so that they understand the need for repentance. The ultimate goal of a Christian storyteller — particularly those in evangelistic ministries — is to win individual hearts, not try to correct societal behavior on a massive scale.

Display sin

This one might be one of the more interesting of the Dos, especially because there is a trend in western Christian storytelling to avoid depicting any sin at all costs. Some of this is out of concern for causing other to stumble (which will be discussed in more detail next week), but a lot of it comes from the desire to paint the perfect Christianity where everyone and everything is perfect, perfect, perfect. The problem is the fact that that kind of Christianity will never exist on this Earth, and there is no one person alive today that can relate to a flawless character. We are all, everyone one of us, broken sinners in need of guidance. The question is not should a story displays sin, but it is how. Jesus’ parables depict sin, often more than they depict goodness and morality. They have murder, cruelty, unjust behavior, etc. The context for having sin within the parable, however, is always to point out the fact that it is wrong and to offer a solution or alternative behavior.

Glorify God (point people back to God)

This is the one goal of the “Do” list that, in my humble opinion, is the most important. While it is closely related to conveying a Godly truth, message, and idea, it is more the culmination of all the Dos and Don’ts. The point of every single thing created by Christian hands, whether it be a story, a piece of artwork, or some other craft, the goal should be to glorify God. Whether that be through a direct message (i.e. a sermon, a visible cross) or an indirect message (i.e. symbolism, beauty, or order) we should be seeking to display His goodness, His righteousness, His grace and mercy, and His justice is every story we tell, offering our creations up as sacrifices for His glory. That is the core purpose behind telling a truly Christian story.