Stories are Scripture

scripture

noun

scrip·​ture ˈskrip(t)-shər

1 a (1) capitalized : the books of the Bible —often used in plural

(2) often capitalized : a passage from the Bible

b : a body of writings considered sacred or authoritative

2 : something written

Etymology

Middle English scripture, Scripture "the books of the Bible," from Latin scriptura (same meaning), from earlier scriptura "the act or product of writing," from scriptus, past participle of scribere "to write" — related to scribe.

We write stories, do we not? Our act of telling is an act of creation. We are the omniscient and the omnipotent on the page, creating the genesis of our worlds, molding them to meet our plans, and bringing the tales within us to life. We are the creators. We weave the very universe through our carefully crafted words and phrases. We invoke names, and they become flesh-in-ink. We simply breathe galaxies into existence. We exact revenge on our foes with the shrieking stroke of a pen. We break and mend hearts with a few well-placed keystrokes. Nations rise and fall at our whim, and kings and queens are lifted up and torn down with the loving or callous wave of our hands.

When we read the words of other scribes, we are consuming their truths. We devour their ideas and thoughts. We kneel before their altar and let their blessing flow over us. Then, we decide if they are blessings we want to keep or discard. Do we want to digest their sacred texts and feel them fill our souls, or do we reject them and cast them out.

The never-ending cycle of creation and destruction and consumption and reverence and disdain and hope and love rolls on and on. And our part to play is to continue to play. To write our scripture. To reach one another’s scripture. To pray on it and to prey on it.