What pops into your head when you see the word…

Imagination. 

Today, it makes me think of The Princess Bride with its ROUS’s and six-fingered man. Most of us are happy to pass off imagination to Hollywood, artists, and six-year-olds pretending to be Queen Elsa. But, when it comes to the serious concerns of adult life, imagination seems out of place. Just consider these odd couples:

Family + Imagination

Work + Imagination

Religion + Imagination

Photo courtesy of Joshua Earle via unsplash.com

Modern-day Evangelicalism hasn’t helped. At best, when Christianity bumps into imagination the two share an awkward hug. (Facing the Giants, anyone?) At worst, while sirens blare, Christianity runs for the bunkers with truth tucked under its arms.

Strange behavior considering that understanding the Bible requires imagination. 

Just try to explain the phrase “God is light” (1 John 1:5) without imagining any kind of light. 

As soon as I read “God is light,” my imagination reaches out to pluck meaning from the sun that just crept behind the mountains or the lamp casting a circle of yellow as I write. Without imagination, I’m stuck saying something like “God is a five letter word that starts with ‘L’, ends with  ‘T,’ and rhymes with fight.”

So, when’s the last time imagination took you beyond the Cliffs of Insanity and helped you understand something about God? 

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