Meaning & Imagination



I reread a quote today from C.S. Lewis "Imagination is the organ of meaning." 

Imagination would seem to be a nice thing to have in life but not a necessity. We need food, we need water, we need shelter. And I might just need coffee. But, above all else, we need meaning. For if life is meaning-less, why bother eating, drinking, staying dry and warm? And imagination, is the key to meaning. Facts by themselves don't coalesce into coherence. Instead, facts point to a bigger and more expansive reality. Like keys on a piano becoming a song. The Alphabet becoming Shakespeare.

One star in the sky is not that impressive. Thousands of stars are. The Organic Universe. Let there be Light. One sentence brought forth Creation  

If we take away a person's ability to envision a better and more beautiful life, while they are in hard times, they may not make it out of the hardship, or want to. I have learned that there are many times that a person's world is not going to change all that quickly, if ever. Change in the positive direction betrays the gravity of this world. Finding a lasting lesson in the adversity gains a lot of traction if we are meant to live forever. That coin is not only for the currency of this world.

Imagination properly constituted lifts burdens because we can imagine them being lifted. Troubles viewed in this light pass and God remains. Want to learn how to love your enemies. to do good to those who hurt you, to pray for those who seek you harm? Imagine yourself doing it. And, you will. Eventually.
 
The Prophets in the Bible spoke of judgment as well as restoration. James says in Act 15, from The Message:

"After this I am coming back; I'll rebuild David's ruined house; I'll put all of the broken pieces together again; I'll make it look like new." 

And if God uses His imagination to put broken pieces together and make all things new, so shall we.      


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