A never-ending story

You have come...to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23).

If you like reading fiction, perhaps you’ve noticed a trend in recent years. With increasing frequency, authors are writing series of books, instead of stand alone novels-- series that feature the same characters over and over again.

This trend is not confined to the pages of literature. Unless every character is killed off by the end of a popular movie, you can expect a series of sequels to be made in the years that follow. When a popular TV program comes to an end, there is usually an attempt to spin off one or more of the characters into a show of their own.

Some claim that this happens because creativity is hard—it is difficult to create fresh characters and innovative story lines. It is both easier and more profitable to just crank out another story about a favorite detective or secret agent or deep space explorer.

But I think there is something else at work, another reason why people prefer series over self-contained novels or one-shot movies. Remember the large audiences that tuned in for the final episodes of shows like M*A*S*H and Friends? For years, these groups of characters had come into peoples’ homes every week for a visit; when the shows ended their runs, many felt as if they were losing a long-time group of friends. That, I think, is why series are so popular; the audience becomes attached to the characters and does not want to see their story ended. The end of a series can be like having a good friend die or move to another state.

As human beings, we form attachments with other people. When we like someone, we want them to become a permanent part of our life. This is why we hate it when a friend moves away; this is why we grieve when a loved one dies. We don’t want our precious relationships to end! This is one reason why it’s so wonderful being a Christian. Our Lord Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to suffer and die for our sins, making us eligible to be God’s friends; He came back from death to offer us renewed life beyond the grave, life in a place where we will never again have to say farewell to each other. Jesus is the Author of life, and the story He writes for us is one that will never come to an end!