How does the imagination relate to faith?
Are you possibly squirming in your seat, uncomfortable with that question? I get it. Because imagination is so vast, with countless possibilities and paths to both good and evil.
But as I’ve been pondering the use of the imagination around the sacred, I would like to put forth the thought that as Christians, we are often not imaginative enough. We read Scripture, we see the beauty of Jesus and the goodness of God’s story, and then too often, fail to allow it to write itself into our heart, mind, soul, and being. We don’t embody it. I’m guilty of this as well, and I’m not claiming that better imaginations will be some secret answer to accomplishing this. But if faith is the evidence of things we cannot see, perhaps our imaginations are an integral part of our faith.
A theme we see throughout Scripture is remembering. We are encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness. The Hebrews were told to remember what God had done through their many feasts and festivals. Jesus tells us to break bread with one another “in memory of me.”
Remember. But remember not just as a mental assent. The very point of sharing the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples was to place themselves in the story. To taste the bitter herbs that called to mind the bitterness of slavery under the Egyptians. To eat the unleavened bread to remember the urgency of their escape. And to partake of the sacrificed lamb to remember God’s provision to save.
How could Jesus and his contemporaries do this without the use of their imaginations? I don’t think they could.
Before I wrote Draw Close to Jesus, which uses imagination quite frequently, I sat with this idea. I wanted to make sure my conscience held no qualms about telling stories based on Scripture in this manner.
Someone asked me the other day what I might say to those who will not read Biblical fiction because it makes them uncomfortable. My answer was, I would say it’s okay. We are all unique individuals and none of us relates to God exactly like another. That’s the beauty of a community embodying Christ! Some might not feel comfortable reading Biblical fiction or exploring Scripture in the way I have done in Draw Close to Jesus. And for those, I would say, no sweat. I think of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 8 as he was wrestling through the fact that some Corinthians felt strongly against eating food that had been sacrificed to idols, while some held no qualms about it. Paul paved the way for those with more tender consciences. Though there was nothing inherently wrong with eating this food, Paul respected those who did not feel good doing so.
I pray this book is a stumbling block for no one. I pray it blesses those who find it in their hands. And I pray that, through the use of your imagination, you might find yourself more intimately walking with Jesus.