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People and Plots
Plot is defined as the succession of events that lead to a conclusion. Everyone is born, lives, and one day will die. These are the broad parameters of the plot of life. In between, life consists of many smaller plots that are often motivated by conflict or tension. Looking for a plot means trying to connect all the relevant parts of the story in order to see the big picture. In the book of Job, for example, there are two plots.
Identify the two plots in the story of Job. See Job 1:1–12.
If we want to understand the story of Job, we need to understand its two-dimensional plot. As a matter of fact, the Bible has no one-dimensional plots, because God is always active in history and human lives, even if working behind the scenes. In the first two chapters of Job, we can imagine changing channels, as on a TV set, as we jump between the earthly and the heavenly plots.
Stories, however, are more than plots. People make stories.
Describe in as much detail as you can the prophet Huldah as described in 2 Kings 22:14.
Characters are closely connected to the plot of the story. How we understand the character(s) depends to a large degree on the information given by the narrator, who may even be one of the characters. Let’s take Huldah as an example: Is she one of the main characters in the story? No. This story is actually about the discovery of the book of the Law during the reign of King Josiah. Though Huldah may not be a main character, every character in a story is vital to the development of the story. Does Huldah have children? How old is she? We don’t know the answers to these questions. Biblical narrative tends to be very concise and often abbreviated. This means that we need to pay close attention to every piece of information we are given. Huldah was regarded as a reliable prophetess of the Lord. The biblical author gives us information about her husband’s family, because women during Old Testament times were identified with their husband’s families. Her address is also given. As in modern times, official documents always require a name and an address to prove that a person is who he or she claims to be.
What is your plot? What kind of character are you? If your story was written as a Bible narrative, how might it read in contrast to how it ought to read?
| SUNDAY | September 26 |
Plot is defined as the succession of events that lead to a conclusion. Everyone is born, lives, and one day will die. These are the broad parameters of the plot of life. In between, life consists of many smaller plots that are often motivated by conflict or tension. Looking for a plot means trying to connect all the relevant parts of the story in order to see the big picture. In the book of Job, for example, there are two plots.
Identify the two plots in the story of Job. See Job 1:1–12.
If we want to understand the story of Job, we need to understand its two-dimensional plot. As a matter of fact, the Bible has no one-dimensional plots, because God is always active in history and human lives, even if working behind the scenes. In the first two chapters of Job, we can imagine changing channels, as on a TV set, as we jump between the earthly and the heavenly plots.
Stories, however, are more than plots. People make stories.
Describe in as much detail as you can the prophet Huldah as described in 2 Kings 22:14.
Characters are closely connected to the plot of the story. How we understand the character(s) depends to a large degree on the information given by the narrator, who may even be one of the characters. Let’s take Huldah as an example: Is she one of the main characters in the story? No. This story is actually about the discovery of the book of the Law during the reign of King Josiah. Though Huldah may not be a main character, every character in a story is vital to the development of the story. Does Huldah have children? How old is she? We don’t know the answers to these questions. Biblical narrative tends to be very concise and often abbreviated. This means that we need to pay close attention to every piece of information we are given. Huldah was regarded as a reliable prophetess of the Lord. The biblical author gives us information about her husband’s family, because women during Old Testament times were identified with their husband’s families. Her address is also given. As in modern times, official documents always require a name and an address to prove that a person is who he or she claims to be.
What is your plot? What kind of character are you? If your story was written as a Bible narrative, how might it read in contrast to how it ought to read?
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