imagination

I think there’s a part of me that longs to imagine and dream again. I write again because I use to always imagine things as a kid. I could on a whim become James Bond, using high-tech devices to blow things up. While riding through my neighborhood, I would suddenly be riding stages of the Tour de France. Ever play King of The Hill? I could pretend to be a king while fighting enemies that wanted to take me of my throne. It’s beautiful, right? The ability to imagine things; to become something in your head and then begin acting things out… don’t you long for the freedom to imagine again? It’s really odd but somehow creating beautiful images in my mind became increasingly difficult as I got older. Somehow it was only meant for kids and so I simply stopped using images to inspire me. Yet every Christmas Isaiah evokes all the visual senses of my childhood past teaching me to imagine this:

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…

How does this image work for you? Can you imagine a world leader in which everything was perfectly judged? Can you imagine a leader who possessed all the wisdom to bring total peace throughout the earth? I know we quote this only at Christmas time but I’m actually beginning to think that Isaiah held this image from God close to his heart as he constantly wondered when God would restore things.

Fast forward a bit and Paul captures us with the same ability to imagine the impossible again, explaining Jesus’ existence in Colossians 1:15-20. He opens the whole hymn this way: “For he is the image of the invisible God” and then writes that Jesus is above all tangible and intangible things, rulers and dominions, physical and spiritual forces.” Everything was created “by him” and “for him.” In other words, everything is simply Jesus’ and we need to try to re-open our minds to this image of all things being somehow tied to him. We need to imagine the Kingdom that he rescued us into via the Cross (Col. 1:13-14).

I gotta say the minute I try to see Messiah like Isaiah and Paul, I find myself  realizing how important it is to imagine Jesus more and more in our Kingdom reality. I do hope for a day when injustice no longer exists. I long for a day when race and education no longer divide the rich and the poor. Where the economy no longer becomes our mission. Where gay marriage stops consuming so much of our energy. I think I’m longing for that beautiful image where people are no longer starving; where homelessness is eliminated. Where disease is wiped out. Where evil dictators no longer steal a sense of joy. Where sex addicts stop driving child pornography. Where I can stop crying my brains out every single time I hear about how cancer takes another family friend. When I can stop sighing when I learn of another soldier that dies. I long for a ruler who can reconcile what is wrong today. I long for the peace of Christ (Isa. 9; Col. 1:19-20).