A narrative, everybody has got one. Whether consciously or not, there is a story we tell about ourselves to ourselves. People, political parties, sports teams, universities, there is always some story we use to explain our existence and purpose. "Baylor is here to train people in a rigorous and Christian academic environment", "The Democratic Party is here to ensure an equal society", "The Republican Party is here to ensure a free society", "I am here to write these blog posts in the hope that somebody will find them helpful". And so on and so forth ( I find it interesting that out of all the ways I could refer to myself in this blog, I call myself a Pastor's Son). These narratives can be anywhere from honest to delusional, but they shape our decisions and perceptions regardless. We use them to focus our priorities and excuse our failings ("Sure, I drink some, but it doesn't really affect me because I'm above that"). In short, narrative is at the core of our interactions with reality.
