The major literary forms of poetry, novel, and myth are replete with the theme of confession. Interestingly, one entire category of literature, the horror genre, is a direct result of the failure to confess. When the moral order becomes unhinged from reason, the outcome is death. Christ described it, as did Shakespeare, as did Nietzsche.
While speaking poetically can and does describe the splendors of our existence and the universe – it also encompasses the whole of our humanity…including our darkest thoughts and fears. In fact, it is precisely at the point that we cannot speak that imagination becomes most useful in communication. The depictions of the apocalypse in the Book of Revelation is described using imagery – otherwise, how could we bear it?
In his book, A Tale of Two Sons, John MacArthur explains that the entire story of the prodigal son is a twofold chiasm (ABCD-DCBA) in which the last verse is intentionally left out of the second chiasm. The first relates to the younger brother, and it goes like this:
A. Death – the younger son departs
B. All is Lost – he spent all his inheritance
C. Rejection – wallowed with swine
D. The Problem – I have nothing
D. The Solution – I will go so that I don’t perish of hunger.
C. Acceptance – the father gladly receives him
B. All is Restored
A. Resurrection – he was lost – but now is found.
Second chiasm relating to the older brother: Continue reading
Graced Grit 