In our elated rampage through the tales of this world, it is crucial that we do not forget the Story: the Story of stories, the Tale from with all tales tend. This is a concept which I fully intend to bring up often throughout the life of this blog, but for the moment, let us loose ourselves to wonder.
The story told in the Bible is the most magnificent story ever written. It is the Tale, the Epic, the Romance. As I heard it long ago, “It is an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves.”1
It treads all paths laid forth by every form of literature in the world: poetry, narrative, history, genealogy. There are battles, love, and victories won by armies vastly outnumbered. Giants transverse its pages, shepherd boys become kings, and impossible missions are successfully accomplished. There is oppression, exile, deep hate, and deeper healing.
All other tales are shadows and reflections and memories of this One Tale. They are the branches leading back to the Trunk. We would be fools to go about our lives thinking the shadow is the Real Thing.
Notes:
I am indebted to The Jesus Storybook Bible for introducing to me the idea that the Bible is a true fairy-tale. You can purchase The Jesus Storybook Bible here. I highly recommend it, even to those who no longer consider themselves children.
1Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible
Remembered Lore 
Well penned, Nicole. A good reminder!
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Thank you, Mrs. Schouten. Yes, it is a good reminder for me as well.
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Nicole, this is one of your most beautiful posts yet. Thank you for including that quote from The Jesus Storybook Bible. I have never heard it before, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
You know, I find myself thinking of the epilogue of “On Fairy-Stories,” where J. R. R. Tolkien says that the happy endings in fairy tales look back to “The Christian joy, the Gloria,” the “Great Eucatastrophe.” How exciting it is that the most wonderful story of all is a true story!
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The subtitle of The Jesus Storybook Bible is “Every Story Whispers His Name.” Each Bible story in the book points to God’s plan to rescue His people. It drew threads together into patterns I never saw.
Exactly. This also harkens back to J.R.R. Tolkien’s conversation with C.S. Lewis and Hugo Dyson about the Bible being “true myth.”
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I haven’t read this conversation! Do you know where I could find it?
Thank you!
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I do not think I have actually read any specific conversation about “true myth.” However, if you do a bit of research around the talks C.S. Lewis had in his rooms and on Addison’s Walk with J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson before he became a Christian, you will probably find something about it.
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