Imagination

One of the benefits of the series, “The Chosen,” is that it calls on Christians to use their imaginations, and to expand their understanding of Jesus and the life he and his disciples lived. When we tie our imaginations into real archaeological, geological, sociological and historical information, we can step closer to “seeing” the world surrounding Jesus. We can grow in our understanding how people of his time and place would have received the words he spoke. But, is that okay? Even if we tie it to evidence and the expertise of scholars, are Christians supposed to be using our imaginations? Isn’t it just fanciful? Isn’t it just fantasy, in fact? One of the best ways to answer that question is by checking out Jesus himself. Jesus’ use of parables, stories that open up God’s truth, was the example he gave us of the importance of using our imaginations. He calls on us to put ourselves into stories. When he tells the story of the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son or even how the mustard seed is like the kingdom of God, he was telling the people around him (and us now) to imagine a tiny seed in their hand, to see the father running to meet his wayward son, to picture themselves as a person beaten and robbed and left for dead by the side of a desolate road. When the aim of our words is to lead people into compassion, or peace, or truth, we are helping them to step into the good news of Jesus. This is why the work of Olivia Donald, in our Rancho Bernardo Community theater program, and Kim Vandergrift, in our Preschool, are such good efforts, and so important investments by this church. As kids gain proficiency in exploring their imaginations, they are able to see themselves in positions of both needing help and being a help. They are able to recognize that they are creative. That’s getting close to the kingdom of God. It’s helping them to consider seeing life in new ways. These are just two of the ways this church expands hope in the world, just by using a bit of imagination. Blessings, Geoff