Ariel and I have been talking about — and she has been learning about — the elements of a story.  One of the things we’ve discussed is the fact that the basic elements of a story are present in every good story, no matter how complex.  In fact, the same elements that are present in Bread and Jam for Frances are not only present in The Lord of the Rings or A Tale of Two Cities, they’re present in The Bible — the greatest story of all time.

See, God is the standard in all things.  He not only sets the standard for morality, but also for quality and beauty in art.  The reason we know what elements to expect in a great story — characters, setting, conflict, resolution, universal themes — is that they are the elements found in His story — the one He has written and which is being played out at this very moment.  C.S. Lewis said it well, in a quote which I now can’t seem to find.  He said that the best stories are those which come closest to the Story.

Despite all its detours, the basic story of the Bible is this:

The characters: God and man.
The conflict: Man is selfish and sinful, and not good enough for friendship with a righteous, holy God. (Rom. 3:23)
The resolution: God traded His own righteousness for the sinfulness of needy men, allowing us to be viewed as righteous in His sight and once again be united with Him in friendship.  (John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:21)

When we “witness” to others (a misnomer, as witnessing is passive; we “testify”), all we are really doing is relating the key elements of the story!