Beyond Imagination

Mel Perkins
18 November 2003

How often have we said in response to someone’s fanciful idea — “yeah, in your dreams” or “only in your imagination”. What is imagination? One dictionary I looked at had a number of meanings:

* the ability of the mind to give birth to and form ideas of things from information communicated to it by the organs of sense
* the ability to bring absent objects and perceptions forcibly before the mind
* an idea, scheme or plot
* an unsolid or fanciful opinion
* the ability to develop and produce something new from ideas, observations and memories
* I would also add here, a gift from God

Our imaginations enable us to remember, dream dreams, invent new possibilities — and to worry. So, having imaginations can be both a good and a bad thing. I often find my imagination to be most active when things are going really well — I imagine all sorts of bright and glorious futures — and when things are going pretty badly — I imagine all sorts of calamities and disasters. What often ends up happening is quite different from what I have imagined, particularly when I am under stress. Today’s readings call upon their hearers to imagine something different from what they are currently experiencing and as a result of this, to live in a new way.

As most of you know, the reading from Mark’s gospel is part of a longer discourse by Jesus, seemingly full of doom and gloom. Unfortunately in the lectionary our look at this passage ends here so I am going to include some of it here in order to give us a fuller picture. Jesus firstly predicts the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and then foretells of wars, earthquakes, persecution, sacrilege, false messiahs and prophets, stars falling and then the coming of the Son of Man. Pretty heavy stuff! But in amongst all of this, Jesus tells the four disciples not to let their imaginations ‘run away with them’ and how to ‘survive’:

* beware of being lead astray
* endure
* be alert
* be watchful
* be expectant
* keep awake
* other things may pass away, Jesus’ words will not;
— and one more —
* flee

This last one is perhaps an odd one in amongst the others — for the most part Jesus is encouraging his hearers to stand firm. And in fact, the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans and many Jews lost their lives. I have heard that one of the reasons Christianity survived this time was because many actually did flee to the surrounding hills and other parts of the region. So, we could look at this passage and say — well, in hindsight, much of what Jesus predicted came true within that generation and it has no relevance for us today. I think then we would be missing the point. The temple of Jerusalem was the central focus of Judaism at the time. In predicting the destruction of the temple, Jesus was predicting the end of a time — a “disintegration of the status quo”. It is in this I think we can find our connection.

A week ago, I got a phone call from someone that I think most of us hope we will never hear — “I think you have a virus on your computer”. For someone like me who uses their computer as a tool and has no idea what to do when they don’t work properly, this can be bad news. To say I was worried is an understatement! My imagination ran riot with all sorts of possibilities — my computer would be wide open to hackers, people would be able to access my personal files, it would cost me a fortune to fix and the ultimate, it wouldn’t be able to be fixed and I would have to buy a new computer. Part of my brain was overactive with panic while the part that could work with possible solutions slowed down. Despite ringing a friend who I knew was good with computers (and promised to come over during the week), I came close to giving up hope it could be fixed and doubted the ability of my friend to fix it. My trust was at a low ebb.

In life, many things can befall us, many far more catastrophic than a computer virus. When such times overwhelm us, how do we react? How do our imaginations kick in? Is it with panic, pessimism, doubt and fear? Or with hope, trust and faith? Mark’s reading reminds us that as followers of Christ, while we are not immune to suffering, there are ways that can help us to pull through. And I wonder if here is an opportunity to put our active imaginations to good use and even sometimes aside, by allowing the living, healing God who is much, much greater and loves us far, far more than we could possibly imagine, to enter into our lives in a new and deeper way.

Remember, Jesus said:

* beware of being lead astray
* endure
* be alert
* be watchful
* be expectant
* keep awake
* other things may pass away, Jesus’ words will not

In the passage from Hebrews, we are again reminded of one of the primary promises of God — in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven for all time. Nothing we can do will change that. The heightened awareness of sin and guilt that (the author of the letter to the Hebrews believed) was brought about by the old ways of the priest year after year offering sacrifices to atone for sin has been taken away by Christ’s single sacrifice. But are we convinced of that? It is here that I think our overactive imaginations kick in and do us a dis-service. For many of us, we are somehow still convinced that our salvation is connected to our doing. We know we cannot possibly do enough to earn our salvation, so we struggle to believe in what God is offering us. It is as though, as our imaginations fail to comprehend the incredible reality that a beaten, crucified and risen Jesus has brought about our rising, we also fail to comprehend the reality that God is not asking or expecting us to achieve this ourselves.

When life throws the worst at us, we may struggle to come to terms with what is happening. We know we are unworthy and couldn’t possibly earn God’s love and care. And then, BANG! The imagination kicks in and we blame ourselves or allow others to blame us for things we have no control over and the guilt and anger and pain and doubt threaten to draw us away from God. What holds us fast to God in such circumstances? This most incredible of possibilities — this man, wounded to death — the one we call Christ.

* The One through whom God carved a new plan on our hearts and minds.
* The One through whom we are granted new life.
* The One in whom we can place our faith and hope and trust, even in the darkest days.

In a letter to the church in Corinth, Paul encourages them to “walk by faith not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7) — to believe in the promises of God despite, and often in spite of, evidence to the contrary. But what happens when the worst we can imagine actually happens and that light at the end of the tunnel seems so dim to be almost indistinguishable?

I know someone else who has a very fertile imagination. Quite some years ago when her husband was unwell, her imagination went to town. The worst thing that she could imagine happening was that he died from this illness — and he did. For her at times God seemed so far removed from the mess she ended up in, she wanted to end it all. However, she survived, and is now getting back to living (as opposed to merely existing), mainly due to two things — her being able to hold on fast to the promises of God and being held fast to God by others, for the time when she was unable to do that for herself.

When terrorism threatens our world and security, many ask “Where is God?” God is there — in those who struggle to bring about peace through non-violent means. God is there — in the flower that opens and in the sun that continues to rise. God is here — in this place, in us, in love. We may look at the world and think “What a mess!” We may even have doubts about how and where God is acting. Still, we are called to act with trust and faith in God — whatever the circumstances and in spite of our doubts and fears. Who knows, God may use our hope, our belief in the “peace of God which is beyond all understanding”, to call another in to hope and belief in new possibilities.

In all of life, be watchful, eagerly expectant, wait upon God and be open to the possibilities that life in relationship with this God, way beyond our imaginations, can bring.

Bibliography

Interpretation — A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching:
Hebrews by Thomas G. Long, Louisville: John Knox Press, 1997.
Mark by Lamar Williamson, Jr. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1983.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary — The Gospel of Mark by R.T. France, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002.

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