Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Imagine That

The song “Pure Imagination” from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory includes lyrics that might well have been spoken by God:

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be

We tend to view dreamers as being impractical and unrealistic and dismiss their dreams as being illogical, unattainable, and laughable. Even God, the Supreme Dreamer, has encountered these reactions. Sarah laughed in disbelief when an angel foretold that she would bear a son at an advanced age. Moses doubted that God could produce water from a rock in the desert. The religious leaders in Jesus’ time scoffed at the notion that God would raise Jesus from the dead. They all clearly underestimated the power of the dreams of the One for whom nothing is impossible.

What about us? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God envisions us living in a land of peace, healing, and abundance, where people set down their weapons, the deaf hear, the blind see, prisoners are freed, and strangers are welcomed. Do we believe that this dream of God is possible? Do we truly wish to be free, or have we decided that it’s not worth the sacrifices required to cooperate with God’s plans and help make them a reality?

It's the beginning of a new year — a prime time for dreaming. All around us, scientists are working on medical breakthroughs, communities are welcoming refugees, children are being taught conflict resolution skills, and inventors are finding ways to grow drought-resistant crops and clean up our oceans. What do you dare envision with your pure, God-given imagination? Can you free yourself from doubt and cynicism and set about making your dream a part of the blessing that God envisions for all of us?

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