The Mystery Box
J.J. Abrams is one of the foremost story tellers of our generation. Creator of Lost and director of Mission Impossible 3, Super 8, and Star Trek, Abrams is renowned for pulling viewers into a story until, well, they have a hard time finding their way out. In this TEDTalk, Abrams shares his view on the importance and power of mystery. He starts with a beautiful story of his an event he shared with his grandfather and then moves forward to show how that event, involving a mystery box of magic tricks, has shaped his whole professional life. Anyone interested in how stories work – from teacher to business leader and from parent to preacher – has something to learn from this fast-paced twenty minute video. Enjoy!
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“…times when mystery is more important than knowledge…” – That seems like a potentially key insight for preachers. I know I tend to rush to knowledge (supposed) too quickly. How do we cultivate congregations where mystery in the proclamation of the Word is not only tolerated but also celebrated? How do we balance that against the risk of sounding an uncertain trumpet?
I could also envision structuring a sermon as a series of “mystery boxes,” each moment of wondering leading to the next (loved his Star Wars summary).
His talk itself actually seems pretty disjointed and all over the place, and I found his verbal tic with the word “obsession” distracting…. but it was entertaining. I think the challenge to preachers could be to create sermons that draw on the mystery box principle while maintaining a clear focus on (a) a point and (b), of course, Jesus Christ. Thanks for pointing this talk our way!
Thanks for your comments, Mike.
I don’t think that Abrams is necessarily a model for preachers, but I do find mystery to be at the heart of what makes narrative work. (In some ways, this was Fred Craddock’s discovery in moving from deductive to inductive preaching in the 70s.) What interests me is the challenge – as you name – to resist the urge to solve things and develop a higher tolerance for living in the mystery. Religion, far too often I think, becomes a way for people to manage or eliminate mystery rather than enter into and embrace it. Churches are full of folk who want religion to stop the world from shaking – but not our churches. And the good news is there are tons more folks who aren’t in church at all who are looking for a way, not to make the shaking stop, but to find a way to keep their footing amid the tremors and enter into the mystery of life and relationship more deeply. Combine this talk with Brene Brown’s one on vulnerability and I think you’d have the ingredients for a pretty interesting – and faithful – community of believers.
You know, we crave mystery on a Friday night, sitting in the dark, eating popcorn or a Saturday afternoon curled up in our favorite chair watching TV. We don’t, however, seem to like mystery on Sunday mornings sitting in our pews. We want church to be orderly, with ample answers. We want to completely understand how the transfiguration or ascension happened.
I think we need to help people embrace the beauty of God’s mysteries and relish the perfection of His unopened, exquisitely packed box.
Thanks for sharing this, David. I really enjoyed it.
I think you’re absolutely right, Dawn. We need to find a way to help folks discover faith as something that helps us live in the mystery of God rather than reduce all mystery to knowledge. Your comparison to other kinds of mysteries might be a place to start.