Change the Characters’ World
Ron DeBoer
1/16/2012

Hollywood has long gotten mileage out of a few major plots. In one, the main character is taken out of his or her comfortable existence and thrust suddenly into an unfamiliar world: the small-town girl goes to the big city; a group of fifth graders gets lost in the woods; an innocent family man goes to prison. In a closely related plot structure, circumstances in a comfortable setting change. A criminal hides on an Amish farm. Siblings are suddenly left to fend for themselves because of the death of their parents. An ultra-cool kid transfers to a high school, disrupting the school’s social order. Over and over again, Hollywood screenwriters play with close relationships in the story. The rule goes like this: Keep together those whom the audience wants apart and keep apart those whom the audience wants together—for as long as possible before separating them or bringing them together. These plot devices keep us watching to see what happens at the end of the story. Richard Krevolin, author of Screenwriting for the Soul, calls them “ticking bombs.” In the old B movies of the 1960s, there might have been a ticking bomb that was going to go off if the hero didn’t arrive on time to dismantle it. The “ticking bomb,” Krevolin maintains, comes in many forms but always results in the problem being resolved in just the nick of time.

I was reflecting on these Hollywood themes while celebrating Christ’s birth. God’s story includes many of them. The Old Testament is full of stories in which people such as Joseph, Moses, and Gideon were chosen and thrust into unfamiliar worlds. They were asked to trust in God and further his Kingdom. Joseph’s story in Genesis 37–45 is filled with separation, fear of death, secret identities, just-missed opportunities, betrayal, and ultimately a family reunion that brings everyone together. I’ve read the Joseph story a hundred times, and I still get emotional when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. The circumstances that brought Jacob and all twelve brothers to Egypt to begin the nation of Israel are an example of God’s wonderful plans for his people. God is the great screenwriter of the story, in control of his people.

In the New Testament, a sinful world was about to change. God’s followers knew it was coming. The prophets had been talking about it for generations. A Savior was about to enter the world and change everything for believers and unbelievers alike. Jesus was born, and when he grew up he revolutionized everyone’s thinking about God and what it truly meant to be a believer. He taught his followers that merely obeying rules and judging those who didn’t was not true love. He taught that love came in the shape of helping the poor and sick and loving sinners. He taught that the Kingdom of God was for everyone who believed, not just the Jews. For the Pharisees, their social order had been disrupted. Who was this Jesus whom everyone was following and who was claiming that he was God?

You know the story. Jesus became a wanted man and eventually was arrested and crucified.

But there’s a sequel to this story: his resurrection. The story didn’t end at the cross. Jesus rose from the dead and walked among his people for a short period of time, appearing to his disciples and many others.

Then the next plot device occurred: separating those whom we want together. Jesus ascended to heaven, leaving his followers gazing at the sky. But he promised to come back. I can imagine a “to be continued” graphic on the clouds during this scene.

We are living out the rest of the plot. Jesus will come back and reunite with his people. If you think the Joseph reunion was awesome, can you imagine what great relief and rejoicing will occur when Jesus comes back and transforms our broken world? It will be the ultimate story ending but also the beginning of the next eternal story!

One of my childhood pastors, Ralph Koops, always ended his final prayer in church with “Come quickly, Lord, come quickly.” As a kid, I was always nervous about Jesus coming back unexpectedly. What if he caught me on a bad day? Now, when I consider the misery and pain of this world, I find myself praying the same prayer: “Come quickly, Lord, come quickly.”

We, of course, can be assured that he will—in just the nick of time.

Ron DeBoer is a writer and educator living near Toronto, Ontario.