Imagine with me an expert weaver of old. The artist stands before the life size loom. She has spent days sourcing, spinning, and dying wool. The colors vary from bright to dull. Painstakingly, she begins to weave the fibers through the heddles, guiding the strands with the heddle rod, fully intentional in each step. As you stand and watch, you admire the royal blue, purple, and citrus colors. Stunning. Exquisite. Looking over at another pile of yarn, you wonder why anyone would choose dull green and a questionable mustard color to have any part of this tapestry. Hideous. Unpleasant. Standing back, you watch the artist do her work, spellbound by the process, hoping she doesn’t ruin it with ugly colors. You sigh as your hopes are dashed. In between the lovely shades, the not so lovely shades are being added to the loom. At first, you wince. What a way to ruin some good art. But soon, your glare turns to amazement. And then to wonder. And then to understanding. The intermingling of the light bursting from the dark and the unlovely has created something spectacular. The tapestry is telling a tale of deep depths, of an intentional moving from darkness to light, to a moment of connection where it all comes together and just makes sense. These colors, if viewed in isolation from each other, have no part together, but in the hands of the artist, they each play an integral role.
A well crafted story is a work of art, woven together expertly, that can inspire us to overcome and to embrace the ultimate Truth. The painful moments in desolate valleys are likely to crush anyone who cannot look up and see the mountain top as hope that the journey and the sacrifice is indeed worth it all. Stories are a gift that give us a joyful expectation that the goodness of God does not change and indeed His goodness has granted us the power to overcome. This pattern of the journey from pain to triumph, can be seen through epics and heroes from many cultures such as in Beowulf, The Iliad, and The Odyssey, to name a few familiar titles.
Some may question the importance of reading ancient tales riddled with pagan gods. However, read correctly, we can see the longing and redemption of all creation. Odysseus is not just a sneaky war hero in an ancient fantasy. Like all humans, he is faced with an opportunity: to journey to his rightful place, to the destiny laid out for him. He encounters painful difficulty and wants to lay down and give up. He travels through the depths of hell and darkness itself and presses on. Arriving home, he has a glorious moment of resurrection, conquers the evil that tried to stop his legacy, and is restored to his rightful place. Not only can we reflect on the power of overcoming suffering and pressing through to what awaits us through Odysseus’ triumph, we can learn about Jesus. When we look to heroes of old, we can see the story of sin, restoration, and resurrection. It is a reflection of the beauty of Christ and the love story the scriptures tell. Jesus is the Hero. He is the one who ventured to earth as a helpless babe, journeyed through life with all of its disappointments and joys, asked of His Father to be released from it all if He willed it, faced agonizing death through weeping with resolve, overcame hell and death, resurrected, and restored us to right relationship with the Father. This is the ultimate story told through the ages in various ways, fully understood and consummated through the Son of God. Through Jesus’ story, we are changed, transformed, delivered, and learn how we must live.
I love this verse and refrain from the old song by Fannie Crosby, Tell me the Story of Jesus:
Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart every word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
writhing in anguish and pain;
tell of the grave where they laid Him,
tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
clearer than ever I see:
stay, let me weep while you whisper,
love paid the ransom for me.
He suffered. His body was anguished with unmerciful blows and nails. But he lives again, and the ransom is paid. Through the disgrace He suffered, we are now partakers of His grace and of the greatest story ever told. It’s a masterpiece, reflected through time and tales, woven together by the hands of a loving God who has restored us from death to life again.
