Which story are you listening to?

Stories are important. We all have a story. We are all part of a story, whether we realise it or not. How we understand that story will shape our lives, the way we view ourselves and others, and the choices we make.

$44 billion is a lot of money. Various reasons have been put forward as to why Elon Musk would spend $44 billion to become the owner of social media platform Twitter. One suggestion is so that he can ‘control the narrative’.

The struggle for ‘control of the narrative’ is something that we discover on the first pages of the Bible story. A talking snake asks the question, ‘Did God really say…?’ Embracing an alternative narrative led Adam and Eve to make choices and decisions that changed the course of history.

Stories are important. The Bible is primarily a story – a narrative. It’s a story where I learn about a God who loves me – and who invites me to be a part of this story. It’s a story with a beginning and an ending – even if the story starts before the beginning and goes on beyond the ending! It’s a story that we can’t get our heads round. And seeing myself as a part of this story will shape my life, the way I view myself and others, and the choices I make.

I use Twitter daily. I follow nearly 300 people/organisations – mostly people I agree with, but not exclusively. I mainly use Twitter to flag up news, stories and resources that I would otherwise miss because it’s impossible to keep across everything that is going on. 

I rarely get involved in commenting on anything on Twitter – because, from that point of view, it is really one of the most horrible places on the internet. There is no room for nuance, and little room for grace or sympathy. Even when someone posts something that is clearly meant for good it can be ripped to shreds and criticised within minutes. I doubt anyone has had their point of view changed by a debate on Twitter.

I expect we have all heard the allegations that foreign powers have been able to use social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, to influence elections and referendums – to shape the way that people think. I probably don’t need to use the word ‘alleged’ to suggest that the wider media, including newspapers and television, influence the results of elections and referendums. Their choice of stories, the language they use, the pictures they choose – this all goes a long way in influencing the way that we think.

But as a Christian I already have a narrative, a story, that helps me to understand and interpret the world in which I live. I already have a narrative that helps me to know how I should treat those who are worse off than me. I already have a narrative that helps me know how I should think about people who look different or sound different to me. I already have a narrative that helps me to know how I should respond to those who use their power and wealth for their own self interests. I already have a narrative that tells me that values such as love and humility and truth and justice are more important than possessions and status and the size of my bank balance.

We live in a world where someone is always trying to gain control of the narrative. To reshape the story. To ask the question, ‘did God really say…?’ We need to ensure that the narrative that is shaping our lives is God’s story.