Currently, I'm teaching a class on "The Good and Beautiful Life" at Campus View. One, of the things Smith hammers home is the idea of narratives. Now, I've written about this before on this blog. And, so now I'm looking back on the different narratives for my life.

One of the most painful times in my life was during elementary, middle, and early high school. I didn't live in the right place, my family didn't go to the right church, I wasn't interested in the right things. In essence, I was an outsider. So, I acted like an outsider. I began seeking those things that the mainstream disliked. I still do this today. It's hard for me to like anything that the majority of my surrounding culture likes. So, I've descended into tribalism. My tribe is the indie-cyclist-Christians. (There's not that many of us, but I did marry one.)

What is amazing is how my narrative of being an outsider influenced my thoughts on my faith with profound impacts. I read this article this morning on Scott McKnight's blog, which reminded me of my past. You see, when I was younger, Rubel Shelley was kind of a traitor. Terrible things were said about him and some didn't call him a Christian anymore. This is a sad thing. I grew up in a right of middle church of Christ. I was taught that we were the only faithful Christians. I don't think anyone came outright and said the Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians were going to hell, but the outlook did bode well for them. Here's the thing, I felt really comfortable with this. Why? It fit in great with my narrative of being an outsider. It felt like the whole world was against me and it felt like all of Christendom was against my church.

Here's where it gets mucky. My personal narrative fortified a false narrative. My feelings of church exclusiveness began to decline through the last part of high school and throughout college. I don't think we can solely credit my increase in Biblical knowledge, although it helped. I changed. My narrative altered. I was becoming accepted by my peers. The outsiders found each other and became friends. We were all different, and it seemed no one shared the same interest. But, we all shared a narrative, outsider. In college, where there are more people, I became popular for the first time since kindergarten because there were more outsiders.

I think there are many lessons we can draw from this.

1. Don't turn people into outsiders (it can affect there faith)

2. Our personal narratives can override Jesus' Narratives (they're that strong)

3. Narratives can change, not because we change them, but because we live and grow through them.

4. Our environments of learning are crucial.

Are there any personal narratives that have shaped your faith?

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