Leaving Room for Wonder: The Art of Narrative in Scripture and Beyond
Good writers don’t tell you everything. If an author told you every detail of every conversation and every thought of every character, no one would ever read what they wrote. The best writers tell us enough to engage our minds in the story and simultaneously allow us the space for our imagination to wonder what might happen next. Good stories are not ledgers or detailed chronologies submitted to auditors for validation. Good narratives open the mind to mystery and wonder.
It is no wonder then that the Bible tells us enough to understand the broad drama of God’s story but does not tell us everything. As followers of Christ, we accept that scripture is inspired by God and that the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in the life of believers now as God continues to reveal his ongoing renewal and redemption story in our lives and beyond.
When we read the book of Acts then, it is important to note that while there is great history for us to learn about the acts of the apostles and the expansion of the gospel, we are not told everything. Luke wrote in such a way that we see the expansion of the church and learn of many of the key leaders, but we do not see all the details in between each story or episode of the apostles’ lives.
In between paragraphs and chapters in Acts there are sometimes weeks, months, and even years that have passed. As an example, there are several years between Saul’s conversion on the Damascus road in Acts 9 and the events that prompted the church in Jerusalem to send Barnabas to check out the expansion of the gospel in Antioch in chapter 11.
Luke reminds us that a few years back when Stephen was stoned to death, many believers fled Jerusalem, but their fear did not lead to a dead end for the gospel. These faithful saints took their faith in Jesus with them and began to share the good news of Jesus in a new geography to both Jewish and Gentile audiences. In fact, there was so much growth in the church that leaders from the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, a trusted leader, to go see what had happened in Antioch.
In this story we see that as Paul would later write in Romans 8, God is always working things out for good, even when what we might see seems anything but good. Persecution, martyrdom, and even fear ended up being used in part to help the church understand that God’s plan was always for all people and not just for the devout Jewish people.
We also see that God uses lots of different people to help connect the dots in his grand drama. While Peter and Paul and other apostles may have been seen as the leaders of the early church, lesser-known characters like Barnabas were being used in significant ways. Luke described Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” And back in Acts 4, Luke told us that Barnabas was from Cyprus and upon his conversion had generously sold a piece of property and given the money to the church. Barnabas lived up to the meaning of his name, son of encouragement.
No one but God can write stories like this. In Acts 1:8 we read:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
As we read through Acts, we continue to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the apostles and in the members of the early church. As the Holy Spirit moved in and through the believers, God’s perfect plan for the redemption and renewal of all things was rapidly expanding.
It is important for us to remember as we read devotionals, hear sermons, read scripture, and pray that we do all these things not simply to have some peaceful feeling or to get through the day. God has provided all these tools so that, just as the Holy Spirit worked in the life of his early church, we would realize that the Holy Spirit is still working in the lives of believers today.
God’s kingdom continues to expand throughout the world, and God wants to use you and me as a part of his plan. Our role might be as an encourager or as a prayer warrior. Our role might be to be a connector, an administrator, or a teacher. But ultimately God is calling all of us to be disciples and disciple makers. When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and do not lean simply on our understanding, we may just see the Holy Spirit continue to write amazing stories about lives that are changed by the gospel. Rapidly, we just might see Jesus return in glory because we were faithful in fulfilling the mission he gave us.
Father, help us to see that you are still at work in the life of your church through the power of the Holy Spirit. Give us faith to trust your plans and go wherever your Spirit prompts us to go. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Acts 11:19-26 ESV
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
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