The Trickster
There is a character in most folklore known as the trickster. The Trickster at first seems to be a bad character. Who really wants to be tricked? But the trickster is an essential part of storytelling. Necessary to move the hero along. To shake the hero into defining the ending of the journey through a transformative thought or action.
There are several tricksters in the Biblical narratives. David and Jacob are the first to come to mind. We often define them as Biblical heroes but the truth is they rewrote history. The redefined what a leader should be.
In David’s case, instead of great strength the hero needed a great heart. Not a perfect one but one after God’s heart. Instead of being the first born heir, Jacob was cunning and used his wits.
We often vilify the trickster. Blaming him or her for changing the narrative. But sometimes the narrative needs to be rewritten in order to move the story along.
You may not want to be identified as the trickster in your circles but we should appreciate how they can imagine the world differently and keep the narrative moving.
Until Everyone Hears,