Divine love and compassion

David Jones on how Jesus used stories effectively, grabbing the attention of his listeners

THE finale of Line of Duty on Sunday saw the largest number of viewers of any recent BBC drama; 13 million viewers, 50% of the TV viewing audience, were glued to their screens anticipating finding out who ‘H’ actually was.

By the end there was either disappointment, bewilderment or relief that it was all over. One TV critic said that if we were waiting for a dramatic end, it was just not there.

This left many fans with a sense of anti-climax for a series which had had them on the edge of their seats for all of its six seasons. I never actually watched the series but it was, according to the critics, TV drama at its best.

Earlier dramas such as the Sixties cliffhanger The

Fugitive were also hugely popular.

Who could forget the wrongly accused Dr Richard Kimble as he took 120 episodes to track down the illusive ‘one-armed man’?

“Who shot JR?” were the headlines when the hated JR Ewing met his end in the infamous show Dallas.

That episode was flown in from the USA in great security, adding to the mystery and hype for a series which already had the highest TV ratings of its day.

When all is eventually revealed it’s then, of course, a matter of ‘I told you so’ or compete surprise!

That’s the art of good authorship from writers such as Jed Mercurio, who wrote Line of Duty, Agatha Christie, Jeffrey Archer, Colin Dexter and others who have mastered the art of good storytelling and unexpected endings.

Jesus often told good stories, which helped those who heard them to an understanding of the nature and character of God. He used them effectively, grabbing the attention and imagination of his listeners, who followed him to hear more and more.

The Prodigal Son, enlightening and encouraging. The Good Samaritan who crossed the divides of religious intolerance to help a man left for dead at the roadside.

How the warring factions of the world need to hear that story and to bring an end to religious prejudice and bigotry.

The man who built his house on sand; we know that ended badly, while the man who built his house on a rock was to see his home protected from the storm.

No mysteries, no ‘twist’ in the story – just the simple truth of divine love and compassion so that your story and mine may have a happy ending in the love and grace of God.