Thus begins an involved conversation designed to introduce Jesus as the Messiah.  If either of them had been PC about it, this conversation would never have happened. A Jewish man would not be caught dead talking to an unnamed woman in public, much less a Samaritan woman. 

 

But, Jesus was not known for being politically correct.

 

Samaritans from the town heard her story and invited Jesus to stay with

them for a while. he did and many become believers. 

 

What began an ordinary request for a drink of water, resulted in many new unexpected believers. 

 

That question was what Robert McKee calls, an "inciting event." It gives birth to story. The story is much more than a good description, or a collection of interesting characters, "story is the creative demonstration of the truth. It is the living proof of an idea, the conversion of idea to action." says McKee in this remarkable textbook for writers called, Story.  Buy it at our bookstore.

 

Essential to the development of every story is risk. The risk of time, risk of money, risk of people, risk of position, or the risk of being found out. Without risk there is no story. 

 

That's why the life of Jesus is a story, not a journal or collection of descriptive passages. It is all about risk. He lived to save us long before we realized we needed saving, much less be interested in HIM as a savior. 

 

Now that we have heard the story, we find ourselves in the story. We identify. Of course there is always the backstory that limits us and tethers us and destroys us. The backstory can be so messy, so real, so unexpected.

 

As Robert McKee puts it, all good stories must have an "inciting event." But as with real life, this event is set in a backstory, a context of complications and emotions. The 80's film Ordinary People provides a great example.

 

The film opens with Conrad (Timothy Hutton) coming home from a psychiatric hospital, presumable cured of his suicidal problems. Calvin, the father (Donald Sutherland), feels that the family has survived its crisis time and balance has been restored. The next morning Conrad, in a grim mood, sits opposite his father at the breakfast table. Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) puts a plate of French toast under her son's face. He refuses to eat. She snatches the plate away, marches to the sink, and scrapes his breakfast down the  garbage disposal, mattering: "You can't keep French toast."

 

You can see the pain on Calvin's face as he realizes the problems have not been fixed. The problems? 

 

The backstory explains. The story is a quest for reconciliation following the death of Conrad's older brother who died in a storm at sea. Conrad survived, but felt guilty.  The quest, the secret, the story focuses, not on Conrad, nor his father, the story is hidden in Beth's heart. She never wanted two boys, she feels she can only love one, so she hates the other. She has hated Conrad since birth. 

 

It all comes together when Calvin confronts Beth. She must learn to love Conrad or leave. Beth goes to a closet, packs a suitcase, and heads out the door. she cannot face her inability to love her son.

 

The truth has been revealed. 

 

Let's make this National Story week.

 

First, where does your story begin? What is your inciting event? I can be a question, a touch, a crisis, a injury, or any unexpected happening. Now, what risks are in your story? No risk--no story.

 

Second, what backstory struggle is keeping you from being the story?

 

Third, get on with it. This is not a movie, it's real life, the only life you have. Be the story and find someone who will listen and tell it. And don't leave out the backstory, it's truth in action.