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Finding Ourselves

Who Am I?

Your Journey of Life, Told as a Fairy Tale

"We are strangely drawn by the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have yet to visit." - C.S. Lewis

I have always loved great storytellers, whether Lewis or Tolkien, Annie Dillard or Garrison Keillor. I've often used storytellers in my life to challenge me, to impart some needed wisdom or to remind me of the value of virtue. Even when considering the Bible , its numerous stories often affect me the most profoundly.

I don't believe I'm alone in this assessment. Many of us have learned far more about the forgiveness of God from stories such as that of David and Bathsheba or Peter and his betrayal of Jesus than from simply hearing theological assertions.

I believe this is why Jesus used parables. He gave no history lessons or theological dissertations. He told stories so succinct that only five minutes were needed to tell them, yet the messages were so profound, you could live off them for a lifetime.

Think about the sheer genius He showed in telling stories. How do you express the eternal love of God to a crowd of people who differ in education, degree of spiritual hunger and depth of maturity? You tell a story that will not only communicate to each person on his or her own level, but also, as persons' perceptions increase and deepen, so will the meaning and significance of the story.

Two of my favorite kinds of stories are fantasies and myths. C.S. Lewis wrote somewhere about how a myth takes things that are hidden by the veil of familiarity and restores to them their rich significance. As an example of this, take a common apple. As children, when we first encounter an apple we are in awe of its beauty and taste. A few apples later, however, and the fruit becomes "just another" apple. But when we read bout a magical apple and "the veil of familiarity" is removed, once again, we encounter the "magic" of God's creation.

Fantasy versus reality; what's the difference?

I have never understood those people who make the "sign of the cross" when they merely hear the word "fantasy." My experience in reading fantasy stories has been an increased sense of honor to superiors, valor in battle, patience in afflictions, loyalty to friends and perseverance in trials. Far from being escapes from "real life," such stories actually remind me of Christian realities.

One particular way in which fantasies mirror reality is through their secret entrances into other intriguing worlds. In George MacDonald's Phantasies , a character named Anados awakes one morning to discover that his bedroom now sits in the middle of an enchanted forest. You may recall that in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , Lucy discovers the entrance to Narnia in the back of an antique wardrobe. Just as Christ had said, " The Kingdom is at hand. It is right there in front of you-always has been. You simply need the eyes of faith to see it."

We live in a world brightly alive with the presence of God. Right now there are angels and archangels all around us, and a "cloud of witnesses" above us, watching how we carry on the work of the King. Do we as average humankind readily see such things? Are we ever in awe of who made us, of where we are? Do we see and experience the life of God that pulsates all around us and through us? We need to wake up and discover that we are part of a story about a King and His Kingdom.

Another parallel between fantasies and reality is this: We don't always know who's on God's side and who's against Him. All is not as it appears, either in fantasies or in Christ's Kingdom. The beautiful queen often turns out to be a wicked witch. And what about the frog? Well, the frog becomes a prince, if you just take the time to kiss him with the love of God.

Again, I'm aware that some people ridicule and condemn fairy tales. Interestingly, these stories actually portray such people, as bungling their way through the magical forest, oblivious to the snickering of the hobbits, the singing of the elves or the whispering of the streams. Such people in "real life" are those to whom the world has closed the supernatural - those with a neatly packaged theology that spurns mystery and barks at any who profess to experience the miracles of life.

Usually, these same people are oblivious to God's stupendous promises for this life and the one to come. Didn't Jesus promise us abundant life in the here and now? Did Jesus not tell those who consistently "abided in Him" that they could ask for whatever they wanted? Yes, He did.

The secret name

One particular promise of God strikes me as so mysterious and so stupendous that at first, it appears too good to be true: To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. - Revelation 2:17

I often wonder if this verse hasn't been written into the consciences of all people. I believe another world surely exists. There must be a way for me to become whole. A time must come when Truth, Goodness and Beauty shall reign. So why does this powerful verse inspire so many to write off such notions as frogs turning into princes and beasts becoming lords?

Think about it. You were, at one time, a rogue, a rebellious maverick who fought against your Creator, rejected His Son and His love. Did He send archangels to destroy you with fire? Did He unleash His terrible wrath? No. Instead, He said that before the foundations of the world were laid He knew you and loved you. Furthermore, when He transformed His thought of you into flesh and blood, He did so with a unique intention and design.

You have a secret name reserved for you in heaven that will perfectly and comprehensively describe who you are in the eyes of your Creator. Has there even been a fairy tale more unfathomable, more stupendous?

One of the most common questions people ask is, "Who am I?" Tragically, so many attempt to answer this question by seeking to please others, comparing themselves to those whom God has given a different name. You are making a unique contribution to the world around you. While some people are running around aimlessly, trying to impress others by pretending to be someone they're not, others are starving for the you Christ designed for you to become.

In Arthurian legend is a story of how Arthur was concerned that his knights needed a greater quest to give their lives a sense of holy purpose and nobility. One evening, while they gathered at the Round Table, Arthur declared that no one would eat until something magical occurred. This ended up being the evening the Holy Grail, the Cup that Christ was said to have drunk from on the night of His passion, appeared in a vision.

After the Grail disappeared, one of the knights suggested that the men go on a quest to find this Chalice. But he offered the following insight to set parameters around the quest: He thought it would be ignoble if all the men rode off together, so he held that each man must find his own way. Accordingly, each knight found those parts of the forest where none had set foot before, and from there, began their quests accordingly.

I'll share with you more about this story shortly, but for right now: It's true that we're all here in the same world, and that we serve the same God and live under the same rules. However, how this "configures" for each person is a different scenario. Different cultures, different ethnic groups, differing personalities, different missions and callings and gifting-these are the design of God.

There is a place in God where only you fit. In this place you are to go to meditate, to pray to God and to receive the life-the "manna," if you will-that He has crafted for you. And from this place, you bring back spiritual food to the world around you.

Find your own path. Do not hesitate to learn from others; honor those wise men and women whom God sends to you periodically to help you on your way, but do not take up someone else's path.

Your story

Saint Paul said that we are all living "epistles," i.e., we are living stories . You are the hero of your own story, but you may not be quite sure what this means right now, because you have "amnesia." You can't seem to remember who you are. A wise person has told you that a great King resides on top of a mountain, and this entity knows who you are. But you must journey to the mountain's summit to find this King. To complicate matters, the mountain burns with a unique flame. At the bottom, the blazing fire burns externally, and proves to be excruciatingly painful. Yet, as you ascend higher, the fire begins to burn within you, giving you spiritual power heretofore unknown to you, a power that equips you to overcome all obstacles.

The story is full of constant surprises, intrigue, conflict, betrayals, battles won and lost, found treasures, and an ever increasing awareness of yourself and the world you find yourself within. If you steadily "keep the path," the story ends with your meeting the King face to face. Not only do you discover that this King is your long lost brother, but you're given a magical stone on which your name has been inscribed since the beginning of time. And together, you and your Companion will live happily ever after.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever-do not abandon the works of your hands (Psalm 138:8).

- By Dr. Monte E. Wilson III