I believe we can and have to tell people a better story than the one they have heard up until now. The story I am talking about is the story of Jesus, first and foremost in my life and subsequently in the life of the people around me. The story of Jesus is not a story confined to a book, a book that will become undoubtedly more and more important, but begins for others with my life. After all, we all know people who are dissatisfied with politics, dissatisfied with the shallowness of life, and who can blame them. We know them, if we do, through their stories and their journeys. But despite longing for more and authentic community, it seems we only get more individualism as people are not finding a workable alternative, not seeing a different journey, and not hearing a better story by their neighbours. Due to a lack of a different journey leading to a better story many have come to believe the lie that society is functioning, offers everything needed and that we are happy and free.
Alexei Yurchak’s in his book Everything was Forever, Until it was No More describes this "hyper-normalization" due to an utter lack of an alternative way of experiencing life. Despite hardly having enough food, people in the former Soviet Union lacking a true alternative preferred to believe that they lived a wonderful life of freedom rather than face the truth that they were living in a failing social order.
This existing tension in our neighbours presents a tremendous opportunity and challenge for the people of God. If we live and share a demonstrable alternative story, our neighbours who hope to do more than just drift along with the status quo will have something new to listen to, something to compare with and eventually somewhere to go. People who are searching for something better, for fulfilment, for belonging, and for freedom will be able to see and hear this alternative and if they throw their lot in with us will experience it for themselves.
And then their story will become a story of the journey of Jesus Christ with his people.