“Of the great books which have been composed or partly written in prison, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ by John Bunyan is the best known and the most remarkable.”

Like most people, I love a good story. I can’t wait for the day I get to read stories to my kids, pull them into the lives of the characters and see how they enter into the emotional roller coaster of the arc. There is something magical about entering Narnia through the wardrobe or fighting the buggers alongside Ender. And there’s certainly something magical about being part of something bigger than ourselves.

Over the years, as I have studied and sought to understand the Bible and what impact it has on my life, it has becoming so clear that God is writing a story and we are all characters. Don Miller helped me understand that I’ve lived my life as the central figure of my own story, but God has a much bigger story for us. Steve Larson has helped me discover the thread that runs through all of the Bible, and that my tiny, unimportant life is indeed an important character and subplot. And God continues to show me that knowing Him is not about theological points or analyzing allegory, but to listen to His telling of the story of humanity.

Jesus definitely used allegory to teach us the mysteries of this Kingdom he talked so much about. Knowing which path have we been sown on, or identifying with the lost sheep, or the realization that we are the prodigal son. But we get so caught up in every aspect of the Bible having to be boiled down to however many theological points.

What if that was how we told stories to our kids?

Me: “Alright dummies, now that I’ve read ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ to you, who can tell me the five application points?”

Kid: “Uh . . . that it was awesome?”

Me: “Wrong! Max is a symbol of our inner childhood and rage, which manifests itself in our lives as wild monsters that cannot be controlled and thus when we are faced with that realization we run from the very aggression we believed was to be embraced. Therefore, stop being mad.”

What a killjoy. Can’t we just be content with being amazed? Sure, there are moral implications below the surface, but are we missing the forest for the tree?

God help me that I never exasperate my kids. I hope I can allow them to enjoy the story.