A Word About … Biographies

 

I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like a good story. There’s just something about the twists and turns and unexpected happenings in a great story that captures our imagination. And one of my favorite kinds of stories is an autobiography. When we read or hear the fascinating true details of another person’s life as they tell it, it’s almost as if we get to know people personally, people we will never get to meet. 

Two of the three most memorable biographical works I have ever read were written by people you will never meet. They are both in heaven, now. Jacob and Helen Smith, the parents of my wife, who wisely chose to write down their individual stories before they died. They didn’t think their lives were very important. Helen grew up in Michigan. Jacob in Alabama. Parts of their autobiographies described life growing up in two totally different families, two totally different parts of the country. They didn’t write down everything. But they did write down some of what they remembered. What stuck out to them. And reading their stories was a unique blessing.

I read somewhere that even the longest autobiographies are only about 60 hours long if you listen to them on audio books. That means that whoever wrote those stories about themselves had to have left out almost everything they did in their lives. If a biography is going to be impactful, or particularly riveting, it’s because of the ‘high points’ or the things that are memorable … except, well except that most of us don’t think of our lives as very memorable. No matter what you may believe, if someone made a movie of your life or mind, I think it would be a fascinating film. But, if someone were to make a movie of your life or mine,  they’d have to leave out almost everything about us, too, or it would take WAY longer that 60 hours to tell our life-stories.

I mentioned Jacob and Helen’s stories, already. But there is also a biography of sorts that captured my imagination, my life many years ago. It’s the story of Jesus, told from four distinct and different points of view, by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Those four biographers record happenings and encounters in Jesus’ life that give a compelling picture of a loving God sending a loving Son to redeem a lost and struggling world. They say that if you were to sit down and read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in one sitting, it would only take a little more than eight hours. I’ve read those books of the bible many, many times. The story of the life of Jesus and yes, especially the death and resurrection of Jesus is positively the most wonderful story I will ever read. If you are a believer, you are well acquainted with the story of Jesus. 

If you are not personally acquainted with the events and happenings in his life, I invite you to read his biography in the bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. But even the bible doesn’t tell us everything. John ends his account with these words:

Jn 21:25, The Message says:

“There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.”