TO BE CONTINUED… When it comes to literature, movies, television shows, and other storytelling forms, is there a more annoying phrase in the English language? There are few things as frustrating as investing yourself fully in a story only to be confronted by these soul-crushing words. You ride the storyline all the way to the top of the climax. You invest yourself fully in the characters, in their relationships, in their hopes and dreams, and in their struggles. When their heart breaks, your heart breaks. And, when they crescendo to the moment of success, you are right there with them. TO BE CONTINUED… is the author’s way of leaving you stranded in the purgatory of the unknown in hopes that you will watch again next week, see their next movie, or read their next book. It’s a cruel, heartless trick!
We naturally desire resolution. Sitting in the ambiguity that rests between what has been revealed and what is to come, we are left to our own imaginations. We are forced to work with the limited information we have to construct the possible scenarios that might or might not lie ahead. Generally, the author leaves us with the story in a less than desirable state. The hero is on the verge of certain defeat… The beloved couple is headed for eternal separation… The world is facing imminent destruction… TO BE CONTINUED…
Then again, I suppose it could be worse. The author could have left us with a big THE END. Even when the story comes to a logical and desirable conclusion, the joy of the moment is fleeting. THE END carries the weight of finality. It denotes the end of our relationship with characters we have grown to love and a world we long to visit. I’m not too proud to admit that I had to fight back tears at the conclusion of the final episode of Saved by the Bell. The writers had tied a neat bow on the top of what had been a fabulous part of my childhood. My main man Zach Morris finally married his high school sweetheart, Kelly Kapowski. All of their friends from the old days were back together again, reliving the glory days. Everything ended exactly as it should have, but the tears I fought were not happy tears. I felt the same way at the end of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Parks and Rec, etc. All of these stories found happy resolution, but the story was over. The potential for further development and accomplishment had come to a close… THE END.
As I have considered the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ over the past few weeks, the weight of these two statements has really hit home for me. TO BE CONTINUED… is intended to serve as a connecting point in the middle of the story. THE END is intended to serve as the conclusion. For the followers of Jesus, the cross and the grave provided a very unambiguous and definitive THE END. The hero in which they had placed their hope was dead and gone. The story was over. Jesus, however, continually demonstrated a pattern of disregarding and breaking the system. Why should death be any different? When Jesus arose from the grave, He permanently replaced THE END with TO BE CONTINUED… Because of the power of His resurrection, sin, death, and sadness no longer carry the power of permanence they once had. Our failures, our brokenness, our loss and heartbreak are no longer the final word. Rather, they are a reminder of God’s love and forgiveness and the power of His grace in our lives. They aren’t reminders we should actively pursue, but it’s good to know that when we face THE END, we can trust that the story is actually TO BE CONTINUED…
AMEN!