There’s a trend in the presentation of viral videos these days. Perhaps you have seen it. The new format of showing videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is to start just a snippet of the most climatic moment of video, and then to begin the video at the beginning. So if you are watching clips of sporting events, they begin with the knockout punch or the go ahead goal. Or if you are watching videos of renovations, they show the final product right away. From there the video editors roll the tape from the start.
I think we can imagine why videos have begun being shared in this fashion. In an internet age saturated with content, competition is fierce. In world of ever shortening attention spans, the temptation to keep scrolling is real.
Still, this is not usually how you tell a story. Imagine HGTV changing one of its house hunter shows so that you know what the couple picks from the start. Or Law and Order exposing who was guilty and what the punishment was in the first 30 seconds of the episode. Would you keep watching? Probably not. Not every story is meant to be told with the ending solidified.
That said, despite Facebook and Instagram just recently figuring out spoiler alerts, God’s people have been reading the story with the end in mind all along.
Recently I read in Matthew the story of Jesus trying to explain to his disciples that he had to go, suffer, die, and rise. As I heard it I thought, Of course you do! But that wasn’t the disciples’’ reaction. They fought against Jesus’s mission.
They did not know the ending. But we do. When we herald the birth of our new born king, we know the passion and death that await. And more than that, we know the resurrection is coming.
When you are experiencing hardship, loneliness, trial, and uncertainty, may you be reminded that you already know the ending. Every moment in our life starts with a flash forward to God’s mercy, grace, and power calling us to new life. Spoiler alert! Resurrection’s coming.
For more inspiration and insights from Pastor Scott and Pastor Shawn’s past columns, please visit www.jamestowngazette.com and click on the Faith Matters page. The Jamestown Gazette is proud to present our county’s most creative and original writers for your enjoyment and enlightenment.