Imagine That!

I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Psalm 77:12

Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.

Proverbs 6:6

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.

Haggai 1:7

Humans are wonderfully made and are unique in the animal kingdom in having the ability to ‘see’ in the ‘mind’s eye’ what is not physically there. Throughout the Judeo-Christian writings there are admonitions for humans to use that unique ability to ponder, consider, meditate, think, contemplate, wonder, as well as times when the writer himself is relating how he is doing these very things. Christians, as humans, are endowed with and often directed as followers of these teachings to use this ability to Imagine, to see what is not physically there, to see what could be. And yet so many of them balk at this idea. Just give me those facts, those 10 or more commandments, those requirements for salvation, and I’m good. Tell me what to physically do, and I’m good.

From beginning to end the Bible is full of images, symbols, and metaphors, to give our wonderfully-made minds ideas to feed on. This is the way that our Creator chose to transmit to us knowledge of Him. Do you really want to know Me? Here let me give you thousands of images to feast on. Then you will really know.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.

Psalm 119:18

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know…

Ephesians 1:18

Really? Literal eyes? Literal eyes of your literal heart? What we have here is encouragement to Imagine wrapped up in Imaginative language.

From In the beginning to the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to John, with all the stories and prophecies of the ‘Old Testament’ and Jesus’ the kingdom of Heaven is like, the Bible is full of images and metaphors. And so the tradition continues through the folk tales of nations and cultures all over this planet. In the beginning – can you say once upon a time? And so many of these folk tales are retellings of the Gospel story. Edens to Falls to Redemption. So many end with a reunion, a wedding feast, a dance, a celebration — just as the Bible story does. Did you know that? Do you know the Images? Are you giving careful attention? Do you have eyes to see? Do you use your Imagination?

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.

’But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

To be continued…