We all love a good story, don’t we? Whether it’s a fun story told by a friend, a good novel full of suspense, or your favourite movie; well-told stories go deeper than merely entertainment. They warm our hearts or stir wonder and awe and excitement.
My favourite fictional story is the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The first time I read about the peril Frodo was in with the Black Riders chasing him; that first time I saw their journey through the long dark of Moria; that first time I got to the conclusion of the story… wow! What a powerful story about friendship, courage, doing what’s right in the face of overwhelming opposition, and so much more!
What I realised is this: the very best stories are the ones you want to hear over and over again. A book you just keep taking from the shelf. That audiobook you finished only a few months ago, but just restart again. Sure, the outcome of the story is no longer a surprise. Frodo is going to make it. Or, in another story, you already know that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will marry. And yet, such stories still stir the emotions, because they’re told so well.
Now, what if there is a true story, not fiction but reality, a story which unfolds in such a way that you and I are included in it? That, I believe, is the story of the Bible: the story of God’s rescue plan for this world now broken because of our sin, with God’s Son Jesus Christ as the central character.
This story is literally life-changing for many who read it for the first time. When you get to the great sadness and injustice as Jesus is crucified after a life of doing so much good, and then the climax: Jesus rising from the dead, continuing the story till this very day… No one but God could have imagined and done this!
And, just like the very best stories we read and watch, this one only gets better the more you read it. The Gospel story never gets old. I’ve been a Christian for some 15 years now, and know that Jesus rises again after the cross. Yet, reading about all the suffering He went through, for me, moves me to great wonder and thankfulness. Why me, God? Help me to live my part of this story for your glory!
Perhaps you’ve not yet read the Bible, this best of stories?! Why not pick up one of the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) this summer? I’m sure it’ll be an amazing read. And if you already know it – pick it up again! For this story never gets old.
This column first appeared in the Newark Advertiser in August 2026, and was written by Klaas-Jan Gunnink