Reading the Bible as story is critical, McKnight argues, because “context is everything.” That is, the meaning of texts, especially of “blue parakeet” texts, is wholly dependent upon their context–their place in the story.
Scripture, however, is unlike any other story with which we may be familiar. It is one Story comprised of smaller “wiki-stories.” Returning to his theme of “God spoke in Moses’ day in Moses’ ways…in David’s day in David’s ways…etc.” McKnight suggests that each of these “ways” is in fact a version of the Story told in a particular way. In other words, there is one Story in Scripture told through smaller stories, each of which is a different version of that one Story.
These smaller stories are “wiki-stories” (named after the online encyclopedia Wikipedia where articles are continually reworked). The main Story of Scripture is continually reworked through each wiki-story. For example, The story of Moses is a wiki-story–the Story told in one particular way. The story of David is a wiki-story–the Story told in another unique way.
And here’s the key regarding “blue parakeets”–blue parakeet texts must be interpreted in light of their wiki-story and in light of the Story. Since each wiki-story is incomplete, any parakeet text within in must be interpreted not only in light of its wiki-story but also in light of the Story. Though McKnight does not come right out and say it, he suggests the following: since each wiki-story is an incomplete version of the whole truth revealed by the Story, a parakeet text within it reflects only partial truth. The fullest truth is found only when we read such a text against the entire Story.
