Carrie Cox’s Corner

Universal theme…it is one of my favorite things to teach about in literature. What this means is that the theme present in a story is something, an idea or truth, that can be found in all places with all people in all times. No matter if you are a young boy living in North Korea in the early 1900’s, or an old woman living in Nicaragua at present day, this lesson on life can be applied to you.

Why is this my favorite concept? Well, it reminds me that the human spirit is something that is common within us all. We all experience birth, love, pain, death. These are universal experiences.

Sometimes when we see strangers, it feels like we have nothing in common, especially when some of our cultures are so vastly different-they even seem like we are different species. When we read a story from someone so different from us going through something that is so personal and real and relatable to us, it reminds us that we all at heart are the same. A few days and full of trouble are what we, the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, all are promised. We are all created in the image of God. Red and Yellow Black and white, we are precious in His sight…… This is why we have stories. This is why reading is important. Seeing through the mind’s eye someone else who has been where we are and has lived to tell about it can give us courage. It can give us wisdom. It can also teach us what we should not do. It can allow us to live in places we’ve never been. It can open up the door to the imagined.

This is one of the reasons we have the Bible. It’s God’s message to us that we are not so different than the people in the pages of His book. Our hearts are just as wicked, our needs just as great. Our sins just as crimson. It’s also one of the reasons the Bible doesn’t hide man’s heart and his deeds; it exposes them because we need them exposed. We need to see ourselves through the lives presented in that book.

When I think of universal theme, I can’t help but think of a Universal God. I know He is actually BIGGER than the Universe, but this concept about his person is the same. He has a truth for every person, at every time, no matter their age, race, religion, gender.

And one way I see this is when are in a foreign country trying to sing a foreign song in a foreign language and the Holy Spirit shows up in a familiar way. He is here, too. He loves these people and they love him. I am moved in church were there is multiple nationalities all lifting up the name of the Lord, where every tribe and nation, tongue and voice are all lifted up in unity in worship to their one and only creator. It reminds me of how big God is. How timeless he is. How much he loves.

I see through the stories of other believers, if they can make it for God, so can I. I hear through their testimonies challenges I’ve face in my own life. When I see someone singing and I know their story, the words of the song are more powerful. They have lived the song and now they get to sing it through tears and worship, and it opens up my heart to communion with God.

Our Heavenly Father-He IS universal. He IS every theme we could ever read or write. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. He IS, and we know this because in his book he told us, “I AM.”