The Blank Page

I admire filmmakers and screenwriters. They use their imagination to create any character and place them in any circumstance the human mind can fathom. There are truly no limits when it comes to storytelling, especially with the technology we have today. My favorite writer is Christopher Nolan who wrote some of my favorite movies such as Inception, Interstellar, Tenet, and The Dark Knight Trilogy.

When I was in college, I was in a film writing class. During the course of the semester, we got the opportunity to write our own short film. It was amazing to see how many different stories people wrote. Everyone’s story had completely different characters, settings, dialogues, conflicts, plot twists, climaxes, and conclusions. But they all had one thing in common; they all started with a blank page.

One of the greatest stories ever told is the parable of the prodigal son. In the parable told by Jesus, there are two sons and a father. The younger son asks his father for his inheritance, then squanders it by recklessly living a life of indulgence, while the older brother stays home to work. When there is nothing left of the younger brother’s fortune, he is forced to work for a pig farmer. Then he comes to his senses and goes back to his father’s house expecting to do a job he is under qualified for. 

As he arrives, the father runs out, puts the best robe upon him, and throws a huge party. The older son becomes bitter and resentful that the younger son is greeted with grace. But the father says to the older son, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)

In Jesus’ story, the father represents God’s unconditional forgiveness and love. This is contrasted with the older brother who represents conditional love. He refused to celebrate because he was angry with the injustice of the situation. He believed that the younger son should have to pay for his sins, certainly not be celebrated. Yet God’s grace is not based on good behavior, it is based on who He is. He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, full of compassion, and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8)

The more time I spent in that film class, the more I started to see my own experience through the lens of a film script. In my movie, there are triumphs, wins, and amazing moments, but there are also mistakes, failures, words I wish I could take back, and decisions I regret. Just like the prodigal son, I sometimes feel like I need to work to earn forgiveness for the wrong I have done in my life.

But God sent His one and only son to die for us on the cross to cleanse us, purify our hearts, give us a fresh start, and a new beginning. When we repent, He provides a blank page to write a new story. Instead of dwelling on all of the bad pages of the script, we must focus on the rest of the movie that is still yet to unfold.

The Bigger Picture: God’s grace gives us a blank page and an opportunity to write a new story every day. What story are you writing?