How to Train Your Dragon and the Grand Narrative

 This morning I was watching Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon with my kids. Towards the climax of the movie—as the classic narrative structure normally does—it seemed like evil was going to prevail. Just as things looked like they were beginning to turn around, just as the hero was beginning to hope, the status quo of hatred was winning. My 3-year-old son, decided he no longer liked the movie because it was “scary”. I told him, “Don’t worry Ash, it’s going to get better. Good always wins in the end.” Then I thought, why is that? Is that only in Western children’s movies, or in the Hollywood blockbuster plot of the good guy vs. the bad guy? Certainly, more artsy, European movies are okay with tragedies, etc., but is there something bigger to this?

Then, beyond the doubt, I felt God saying, “Good does win in the end.” We human beings, made in the Creator’s image, have an imprint of Him in our DNA. Though we were born into a world where people’s bad choices—including our own—have polluted this world with evil, we still have an imprint of our Creator. With few exceptions, somewhere inside of all of us we want peace, love, joy, acceptance, and to be known, all characters of God.

He is telling a narrative, a grand narrative that began before the creation of the world until the end of this present age and beyond. He revealed part of it to us through scripture, part of it in Creation, and part of it he hid in our hearts and cultures, to be discovered by he or she who would search Him out.

Why did my 3-year-old and I both long (spoiler alert) for the hero to slay the grand dragon and win the heart of the girl, the acceptance of his stubborn father, and the respect of the village? Even if, for some twisted reason, the movie ended with the dragon winning and the village burning down, we would have sensed something wasn’t right. Why is that?

We are part of this narrative. We have been invited to take an active role in it. We all have a part to play. We have free will. We are free to love the unlovely, bring peace in the midst of conflict, bring joy to a suffering child, accept those rejected by the world, and bring glory to our Creator by shining in our talents. Will you hole up in your house, bar, club, or church building? Will you escape the evils of this present age, helplessly awaiting your rescue? Or will you be a hero of the story, someone who loses battles but will win the war?