The Original StorytellerSample

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

BIG IDEA: Effective supporting characters complement and amplify the actions of the story’s protagonist.

Frodo Baggins inherited the worst gift ever from his uncle Bilbo—the One Ring of Mordor. To destroy it, he must travel to an evil volcano hundreds of miles away. But he doesn’t want to travel alone.

So Frodo invites his gardener, Samwise Gamgee, to join him on the journey. Sam is a typical hobbit, which means he hates adventures. He accompanies Frodo anyway. And it’s a good thing he did. Because along the journey, Sam becomes one of the most significant supporting characters in literature.

Carrying the One Ring was a heavy burden, like that of the cross. Through The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo grows weaker as a result of the parasitic ring. He would have never made it to the end of the journey without a resilient and loyal companion.

When the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring splits, Sam insisted on continuing to go with Frodo to Mordor. When Frodo was captured by orcs, Sam took the One Ring himself and rescued Frodo. He was loyal and unfailing in the support of his friend.

When He was ready to begin His ministry, Jesus knew that He couldn’t do it alone. Strolling beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus spots brothers Simon and Andrew fishing. He tells them to follow Him so that they might become fishers of men. Without hesitation, the two brothers dropped their nets and ran to catch up with the Son of God.

Jesus recruited the rest of the twelve apostles in much the same way. These were all average men, with no great wealth or social standing.

Yet these were the men He selected as the foundation to start the early church. He handpicked His supporting cast because He knew how important they would be in God’s story.

During Jesus’ life, the apostles could be serious knuckleheads. They often missed the point of Christ’s parables. They squabbled with each other over Jesus’ favor. One would deny Christ three times before His crucifixion. Another would betray Jesus.

Their behavior demonstrates one of the key roles to supporting characters— providing context to the protagonist. The disciples’ shortsightedness only serves to amplify Jesus’ perfection. Where the disciples were human, He was divine.

After Jesus’ resurrection, these apostles would prove their true worth. They started the early church, defied oppression and became martyrs in the name of God. Showing their faith in Jesus was enough for them to overcome many challenges.

The apostles’ accomplishments further shows the influence of Christ. Only through His guidance could these men exceed their limitations. Only Jesus could take a group of imperfect men and start an unstoppable movement.

That’s what supporting characters do—they put the protagonist into perspective. They give us another reference point to which we can relate.

It’s not always easy to live up to the perfection of Christ. It’s easier to understand the struggles of a doubting Thomas or a willful Peter. These men show us how we can relate to Christ by how they related to Him.

Supporting characters are crucial to a story because they give depth to the narrative. They provide real examples for a protagonist to interact with and grow through.

Jesus is the main character of the Bible, but His story is magnified because of those people around Him.

PRAYER

God, thank You for including real men and women in the Bible, like the twelve apostles. These flawed and authentic characters help us to relate to your story. Through them, we better understand the character of Christ. Help us to see that we are also supporting characters in Your on-going story. Help us to know our roles and to use them to amplify Jesus’ work. Amen.

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