This is excellent. We recently had a discussion about archetypes in The Habit and talked about how certain symbols and patterns work in stories because of those foundational truths—it may seem like an organic part of the story written, but it can’t help but reflect deeper (or transcendent) archetypes because that’s how God set up Reality.
Yesterday I listened to a podcast discussion about a fairy tale retelling. They talked about how the gaps and questions raised in the original tale made the story ripe for a retelling that created explanations for those things. While I agree this is true (it was one of the main reasons I wrote my own retelling!) I felt the speakers didn’t understand the point of the original fairy tale—the gaps and questions created weren’t flaws in the story. The form of the story did exactly what it was supposed to. I remembered how none of those “realism problems” never bothered me as a child. Sometimes I miss that innocent wonder.
Every time I hear about The Habit, I worry about what I'm missing!! I love everything you said. I almost always hate fairy tale retellings for the same reason—they miss the point! But without that knowledge of storytelling forms created by scripture, I think it's almost impossible to get it right.
wow.... just wow.... so much to unpack in my little pea brain that has always been taught to see the other person's side of the story. Even as a teen my mom never commiserated with me when I had a complaint about a teacher, but wondered if he or she had been having a bad day. I appreciate that I therefore always consider possible cause for another's rudeness, etc, without first judging them (ok.... not ALWAYS.... :D ); but at the same time I definitely recognized that I myself needed to spend time listening to my own children before suggesting compassion for the offender.
BUT..... it also made me totally ripe for stories such as Wicked.... I can even remember praying for Satan as a new Christian in my 20s, now 40 years ago, because I felt sorry for him.... never questioning God's judgement, just absolutely not understanding anything you are trying to say here.
This post is another crack in what feels like a wall that is impossible to climb but over the years has been increasingly marred with cracks that are letting in a light so bright it's blinding. It is helping me to get it and to recognize that there are times I should NOT have compassion for the antagonist (wow.... even *thinking* that makes my stomach churn!! Obviously I still have a ways to go!!) I have a hard time grasping a concept until I really understand it, and understanding comes more naturally to me from logic, but I don't think this is that kind of concept. I need more of this!!!! Thank you for what you have done so far! :)
Thanks so much, Laurel! Well said! I get exactly what you are talking about. This is a very common and very understandable reaction. In fact, someone else sent me an article making the same point: that having an unchangeable wicked character is NOT compassionate. But I really think that it's a simple misunderstanding about what compassion actually is from a biblical standpoint. I have an article in the works on that. Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply!!
Love your point about the retelling of Eden. We live in such a time where many minds are conditioned for the sound bites, one liners, and fragments. It’s hard to articulate to others, the beauty of the Bible as the artful story it truly is.
Affection for doctrine will not convict hearts to God, it is this beautiful glorious story that compels. The language of the Bible is archetypes and stories, even the doctrine that many love to do their studies on, is extrapolated from them and not the other way around
This is excellent. We recently had a discussion about archetypes in The Habit and talked about how certain symbols and patterns work in stories because of those foundational truths—it may seem like an organic part of the story written, but it can’t help but reflect deeper (or transcendent) archetypes because that’s how God set up Reality.
Yesterday I listened to a podcast discussion about a fairy tale retelling. They talked about how the gaps and questions raised in the original tale made the story ripe for a retelling that created explanations for those things. While I agree this is true (it was one of the main reasons I wrote my own retelling!) I felt the speakers didn’t understand the point of the original fairy tale—the gaps and questions created weren’t flaws in the story. The form of the story did exactly what it was supposed to. I remembered how none of those “realism problems” never bothered me as a child. Sometimes I miss that innocent wonder.
Every time I hear about The Habit, I worry about what I'm missing!! I love everything you said. I almost always hate fairy tale retellings for the same reason—they miss the point! But without that knowledge of storytelling forms created by scripture, I think it's almost impossible to get it right.
wow.... just wow.... so much to unpack in my little pea brain that has always been taught to see the other person's side of the story. Even as a teen my mom never commiserated with me when I had a complaint about a teacher, but wondered if he or she had been having a bad day. I appreciate that I therefore always consider possible cause for another's rudeness, etc, without first judging them (ok.... not ALWAYS.... :D ); but at the same time I definitely recognized that I myself needed to spend time listening to my own children before suggesting compassion for the offender.
BUT..... it also made me totally ripe for stories such as Wicked.... I can even remember praying for Satan as a new Christian in my 20s, now 40 years ago, because I felt sorry for him.... never questioning God's judgement, just absolutely not understanding anything you are trying to say here.
This post is another crack in what feels like a wall that is impossible to climb but over the years has been increasingly marred with cracks that are letting in a light so bright it's blinding. It is helping me to get it and to recognize that there are times I should NOT have compassion for the antagonist (wow.... even *thinking* that makes my stomach churn!! Obviously I still have a ways to go!!) I have a hard time grasping a concept until I really understand it, and understanding comes more naturally to me from logic, but I don't think this is that kind of concept. I need more of this!!!! Thank you for what you have done so far! :)
Thanks so much, Laurel! Well said! I get exactly what you are talking about. This is a very common and very understandable reaction. In fact, someone else sent me an article making the same point: that having an unchangeable wicked character is NOT compassionate. But I really think that it's a simple misunderstanding about what compassion actually is from a biblical standpoint. I have an article in the works on that. Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply!!
Love your point about the retelling of Eden. We live in such a time where many minds are conditioned for the sound bites, one liners, and fragments. It’s hard to articulate to others, the beauty of the Bible as the artful story it truly is.
Affection for doctrine will not convict hearts to God, it is this beautiful glorious story that compels. The language of the Bible is archetypes and stories, even the doctrine that many love to do their studies on, is extrapolated from them and not the other way around
I agree, Von! I definitely think there is a place for doctrine, but we usually only retain it after we are convinced of the truth of it.