Seventh-day Adventist? Why not?
The Grand Narrative
I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist faith community. My immediate family were all Adventist. We were part of and active in a local church. I attended Seventh-day Adventist universities and acquired a bachelors in theology and a masters in divinity (how does one master divinity anyhow?). I currently serve as a pastor.
From the time that I could remember, I have always been part of this faith community, having embraced its teachings and its mission. I can say that I am Seventh-day Adventist for life!
That, however, is not the conviction of many who, like me, grew up in the faith. I have observed that an increasing number of youth and young adults are questioning their Adventism.
Why be Seventh-day Adventist? It’s a fair question. Before I share part I my response, I posit this question: why not? I ask this not to avoid the question or be facetious. It is simply an invitation for reflection and exploration.
The first reason that I’d like to explore is “The Grand Narrative.”
The Grand (Meta) Narrative
Story is powerful. Everyone loves a good story. There is meaning and completeness in it. Stories are concrete, absolute and certain — yet mysterious. They have natural momentum to them that fuels our passion to find out more.
Stories are laden with intrigue, suspense and tension.¹
Donald Miller puts it this way: “Story is atomic. It is perpetual energy and can power a city. Story is the one thing that can hold a human being’s attention for hours.”²
“Story is atomic. It is perpetual energy and can power a city. Story is the one thing that can hold a human being’s attention for hours.”
Some of the most iconic movies and even video games are driven by story. Take for example Star Wars. Even though the first Star Wars movie came out in 1977 (has it really been that long?), people still gravitate towards its story of the Jedi, warriors and guardians of the galaxy, in a struggle against the dark warriors of the Sith and the evil Empire.
You’ll find that in stories there is what is called a “meta-narrative,” or overarching story. Meta-narratives give context, meaning and purpose to all other stories. Take for example the Lord of the Rings. It can only end in one of two ways: the Ring destroyed and the Dark Lord defeated, or Frodo fails and the Dark Lord regains the One Ring and covers the land in darkness.
That meta-narrative gives context, meaning and purpose to the story of Aragorn, exile and heir to the throne of Gondor. His fear of failure has kept him from claiming his heritage, yet he embraces it in order to help his people and Frodo achieve his mission. The same goes for the Wizard Saruman, whose charge was to aid the people of Middle-earth, but, seeing no victory, joins the Dark Lord and attempts to stop Frodo’s mission.
While their stories are driven by the meta-narrative, the ultimate fate of all rests on Frodo.
Why are we drawn to stories like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings? Is it because it speaks to the meta-narrative of our lives and our world? The grand-narrative that all other narratives speak to is the ultimate conflict between Good vs. Evil.
Seventh-day Adventists call this the “Great Controversy.” It is the ultimate story that gives us context, meaning and purpose.
Seventh-day Adventists call this the “Great Controversy.” It is the ultimate story that gives us context, meaning and purpose.
This story began in Heaven. Lucifer, the highest and most honored of all created beings, rebelled. He was a covering cherub — as close as one could be to God. Yet, despite his beauty and perfection — he wanted more. He wanted to sit on the very throne that he served. Sin and rebellion began in the heart of the one who was closest to God. He slandered his creator and questioned his very character. Is God truly just? Is God truly loving? Is there true freedom found serving Him?³
For his pride and rebellion, Lucifer and the third of the angelic host, were cast out of Heaven. The Heavenly family was broken.
This fallen angel came to our first parents and tempted them to distrust God and to seek godhood themselves — and they fell into Sin. Instead of godhood, they found guilt. The godly knowledge they sought brought them pain, misery and death to them and their descendants.
Yet, God would not leave humanity to their fate. A plan was formulated to redeem the fallen race. God, through Jesus Christ, would come as a man to do what Adam could not: live a life in a perfect relationship with God, keeping the law of love that was broken by Sin. By doing so, He would take the penalty of the death so that they could live. His righteousness for their unrighteousness. He would be broken so that they could be healed. He would take their shame so that they could regain their dignity.
As Jesus Christ hung between Heaven and Earth — He showed the universe that God was truly just and loving. The Devil was exposed and his case lost. Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, died. Yet death could not hold Him. He resurrected and even now lives to intercede on behalf of His people.
Before Jesus left for Heaven, He charged His disciples to share the Good News of redemption, life and victory. The power of sin is broken. We are no longer enslaved to it — we are free to live to love and obey God. Because of Christ, our relationship with God has been restored. That is the Gospel. That needs to go to the whole world so that all may have an opportunity to receive the gift of grace, so dearly bought, but freely given.
Satan and his legions of fallen angels, enraged by the fact that it was only a matter of time before justice came for him, seeks to stymie and destroy those faithful to God.
Yet, in the end, He will be destroyed. Sin and death will be destroyed. The righteous rescued and the world renewed. This grand story will have a grand ending!
Revelation 21:1–4 gives us a glimpse of that grand ending:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
The Great Controversy is the ultimate story that gives us context, meaning and purpose.
It gives our world context. It was created perfect, but it fell to Sin. All suffering and calamity came as a result, but God, through Jesus Christ, redeemed Humanity. Now we live with hope, despite the pain and suffering, that one day soon, Christ will rescue us and restore our world.
It gives us meaning. Philosophers of all ages have wrestled with the question, “what is the meaning of life?” The Great Controversy tells us that the meaning of life is to be known and loved by God and to know and love Him in return. Life takes on a relational framework that is other-centered rather than self-centered.
It gives us purpose. I don’t live my life for myself, I live it for Christ. It is to be faithful to the Great Commandment: love God and love people; and the Great Commission: disciple, baptize and teach all people.
This is the grand narrative, the overarching story that Seventh-day Adventists believe, teach and live. No other faith tradition I’ve encountered shares the story of Jesus with more depth, meaning and clarity.
Story is powerful.
And there is no story more powerful than the story of Jesus Christ.
¹https://goinswriter.com/power-of-story/
²Miller, Donald. Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen. New York: HarperCollins Leadership, 2017. Kindle
³Isaiah 14:12–17; Ezekiel 28:11–19
