One interesting contribution Postmodernism has made to the way we understand ourselves is that of story (context). As we become more connected to other cultures through electronic and local multicultural experiences, we realize that there are other ways of looking at life; everyone has a story, and it is through story that we create meaning.

The obvious danger comes when we get overwhelmed with the multitude of stories and conclude that truth and reality can’t possibly be known; “All we can do is share and listen to stories.” While this is an intellectually fatal possibility, it does bring some fresh air to the way we used to see the world.

This is best seen in how movies used to only follow one story. There were other characters and other things going on, but we just followed the one story to the neglect of the other stories. However, now, Postmodernism acknowledges the validity of other stories. How do we as Christians reconcile the importance of personal story without compromising the gospel? Back to the idea of the structure of movies, The Lord of the Rings is one example of how personal story fits into God’s story. While there were many side stories in the movie, they were all tied to the central story of Frodo’s journey.

For the Christian, that means that we can appreciate people’s personal and diverse journeys of faith and frame them within the universal context of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. Again, the danger lies in isolating personal stories from the larger story because it is a futile attempt to create meaning apart from the meaning God already gave to creation.

Most stories are valid, but not all stories are true. They are valid in that most people do not intentionally create malicious story for their own lives, but they are not necessarily true because no one has perfect perception. That’s where correct Biblical interpretation rescues us from the intellectual abyss. However, clinging dogmatically to some Biblical interpretations puts us back in the same old box we just emerged from and limits our ability to understand what God is doing in and around us.

God gave us an orderly world (science) and the freedom to flesh out His story for us (art). “Life isn’t terrible. Life is fine. Your life sucks.” How do you want your story to end? What kind of organizing story gives your life shape, meaning, and purpose?