Well. This just blew my mind.
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to J.R.R. Tolkien's brilliantly difficult-to-read essay, "On Fairy Stories" when I was a Senior in high school. I remember getting one thing out of it: While fairy stories show little resemblance to real life both on the factual and experiential level, we need them more than ever because they tell us how things ought to be. Just because life is a certain, does not mean that life should be that way: fairy tales give us a glimpse into deep, rich truths that tell us the way life ought to be - that death should lead to life, that sacrifice should bring joy, and that the fight is actually worth it.
I mention this because I found this absolute gem of a video, which is really an audio clip placed over horrific slides of rainbows and mountains. Don't watch the video, but listen to it. The audio clip is of my modern intellectual hero, Dr. Timothy Keller, explaining the purpose of stories. Don't try to listen to this if you're not ready to give 13 full minutes of your attention. Don't do your taxes while listening to this. Don't watch TV while listening to this. Just listen to this:
HT: Justin Taylor
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