My upside down post

I’m going to claim this is planned, that I am writing this late as my freaky Friday flip, but the truth is that yesterday I worked real late making a video/audio clip to show to churches inviting them to join in a 24/7 prayer. If you are interested you can visit www.UNITEsmc.org/24-7/media/ and check it out. Now to my point for today.

What if we told stories backwards? You have the happy ending at the beginning. Life is perfect and then evil arises. The first battle with evil is intense and each battle after that is slightly easier as the hero forgets just how evil the villain really is. Eventually the hero and heroine settle into life separately surrounded by evil at every step but ignorant of what is out there.

I think we don’t tell stories like that because it mirrors life too closely. As I’ve been preparing some of the Super Youth Pastor stories I’ve been going through my old creative writing books to refresh myself on how to build up to the climax and the path of the hero.

The path of the hero is compelling because the hero starts life just like us and is thrust into being great. The hero is made to overcome everything but just barely. Initially the hero is typically given help, but in the end they do it all on their own. I think that is why we like it. The story appeals to a sense deep within us that we can do it on our own. Of course this isn’t true.

If the story followed reality it would probably run backwards until the hero finally got enough people supporting him. Through support he could overcome, but only with the help of others. We need each other if we will overcome. When we work in unity following God nothing can withstand.

That said, join me tomorrow to see how Super Youth Pastor moves along the path of the hero.