The Story: Campfire Stories

Campfires are perfect places for tales to be told and stories to be shared. The timbers crackle and pop. The smoke curls up to the heavens.  As people relax by the fire’s warmth and glow, it doesn’t take long before the stories flow like a rushing stream. Sometimes, people tell ghost stories or tall tales meant to entertain and thrill an audience. More often, people tell the intimate details of their lives. Bob tells you about events at work and asks for your advice. Carol shares the delight
of being present for the birth of her niece with a tear of joy in her eye. Soon everyone around the circle has a story to share. The hours drift by and bonds are formed and strengthened as we share a part of our story with others. 

Stories are what connect our hearts and souls to one another. We share information and details about our lives. Soon good friends are sharing the ideas, fears, and needs from the core of their souls. Each story reveals something of the person’s character and desires. There is something about a fire that makes us want to reveal ourselves to one another and become vulnerable as we pull off the masks that we wear in public. If we are not careful, we may even reveal some deep truth about ourselves that we didn’t know. We are honest with ourselves and with others and get life off our chest and let our truths rise with the campfire smoke for all to see. With friends, it is a good experience. We tell our story and feel fulfilled. We hear their story and we come to know others in a special way. Campfire stories have a way of bringing people together and letting them be real. 

Imagine being able to sit around a campfire with the characters of the Bible. Each character will tell their intimate life story. Gideon will present his fear and hesitation. David will share his grief about adultery and its cost. The joy of the Bible is that it is full of such stories. Sometimes, the bible lets you hear the words from their mouths. Other times, you feel like a fly on the ceiling watching their most intimate actions. Like the campfire stories, bible stories will share ideas and fears that come from the heart of their souls. If you listen to them, you will learn valuable lessons in life. Sit down and read the stories of people like Abraham, Ruth, David or Esther and you will make special friends who you can one day see face to face in heaven. These are not fictional ghost stories as if we were hearing the story of Moby Dick or A Christmas Carol. Every story that you hear in the Bible is true with no attempt to gloss over failures or sin. 

Around that imaginary campfire is one more person and that person is God. He is smiling as He hears the stories of the people whom He loves. He is smiling as they tell His part in their life. He is a part of every story that you will hear around this “Bible campfire”. He cared for them, provided for them and helped each of them grow. At times, you will hear God tell His stories in the Bible and gain insight into His character and His deep inner thoughts as well. With prayer, you can tell God your stories asking for His advice or sharing your joys just like you might do with friends around a campfire of your own. Those stories have a way of bonding us to the real people of the Bible and to the real person of our God. We become friends as the time drifts by and we draw closer together. “The Story”, the book that we will study for the next thirty weeks is God’s story and the story of real people who will open their lives up for you. It is also your story in that you will find similarities between the challenges that you face and the fears and thoughts told by the people of the Bible. As you sit by the glow of the “Bible campfire” you will hear stories that make friendships that will change your life.