finding the central truth of it all...

True story.

We lost Jesus this Christmas.

Well, not "Jesus" Jesus, but 'Baby Jesus' from our Nativity scene.  This happens all the time in our house.  We have four small kids (all of 'em under nine) and our two year old is a menace. She--like Stich from Disney's "Lilo and Stich"--destroys everything she touches.  Seriously, I have to search for the TV remote every single night.

It's crazy like that.

(just found Him today--a little moldy--but still Jesus...)

So, I wasn't really surprised when Niki reported to me that Baby Jesus had gone awol.  It was right in the middle of the Christmas season and so we lived out the rest of the holiday with an empty manger.

Like the rest of society.

All these people rushing around with empty mangers in their heart.

Lest you think I'm getting religious on you...

Imagine Jesus as the central truth of the story you're looking to render for the screen.  Imagine he's the theme--the crux (sorry) of it all.  Imagine your story without that central truth.  Would you still have a story?

What if Harry and Sally just fell in love at first sight?  What if there were no Dinosaurs at Jurrassic Park?  What if the Godfather decided he needed to repent and go straight?  What if E.T had come to stay?

Every story has a central truth to it without which you have no story worth telling.

I'm preparing to interview Tom Harpur, author of 'The Pagan Christ' tomorrow.  I've been reading his book and the thesis of it is that Jesus Christ as we Christians have come to know Him is not a historical person, God-Incarnate, but rather a synthesis of ancient pagan 'Christos' myths.

Needless to say it's been tiresome reading.

I'm going to ask him why he still calls himself a Christian if he's divorced himself from an actual Christ.

Me personally, I figure if it's just a myth I'm wasting my time.

Same thing with your stories.  If there's no deep truth to it you might just be assembling a bunch of pretty pictures with no meaning.

Seems to me, the whole point of storytelling is to take your audience away.  Seems to me the whole goal of it is soul-transport.

And to take people away--to lift them up--you have to believe something and believe it strong.

No room for the nebulous for we dream-weavers.

Tension, yes.  Uncertain hope by times, sure.  Insecurity, yup.  But a total lack of a story foundation?  No theme?  No truth?  No drive?  No stakes?  Nothing to gain, nothing to lose?

No Jesus?

That would be one sucky Christmas.  

That would be 'Max Payne'.

And that would be some sucky preaching.  A Church we tried on for size for nearly a year didn't mention our lost baby Jesus once.  

Is your story sucking?  Is the vision you're casting for your workplace vacuous?

Is your truth getting moldy?

Don't let it happen.

Go find that baby.

T