Prayer and Imagination

Sixth Thursday after Pentecost

Imagination seems to be the hot new buzz word in Christian Spirituality circles. Quite a few books and articles have recently come out on this subject. I've only begun to read this new literature, so I'm writing today on the basis of not a lot of research yet. I may have something more informed in the future.

Many of us experience God "speaking" to us in a variety of ways. I do know a couple of people who have heard God speak to them audibly. An atheist might say that such people are "hearing things." I have known other people who have experienced an audible, even tangible, presence of God in dreams. For most of us, or at least for me, God communicates to us in other ways, ways such as "God thing" experiences, or giving us clarity on something about which we were unclear or confused. Sometimes God just gives us a sense of Divine Presence with us. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with a sense of God's love. 

To all these things an atheist might say, "Your just imagining it." We might respond defensively with "No, I'm not. It was real." Nowadays a number of theologians and writers on Christian spirituality are saying, "Yes, it is my imagination"--and imagination is one of our best tools for understanding God. Spiritual practices that the theologians of my day would have made fun of, are now being applauded. 

Theologians of my day (60's-70's) held what is sometimes called "high theology," the idea that God is so much greater than our understanding that we can't possibly understand God or barely even conceive of God. As the theologian Soren Kierkegaard famously said, "There is an infinite qualitative distinction between God and man." God is greater than anything we can "imagine."

We have all sung the hymn that goes: 

"Immortal, Invisible God only wise,

In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes."

Definitely a high theology. My own theology is of a lower sort. I'm seem to be able to find God's presence whenever I look for it, and often not even when I'm looking for it. 

But now I want to go further. I want to go deeper. "Imagination" will be my new tool in my spiritual toolbox (I'm still into the "toolbox" metaphor from St. Benedict's Toolbox, which I reviewed on Tuesday." 

Some people, for example, imagine Jesus sitting opposite them, and they talk to Jesus. I have heard of dinner parties for Jesus, which have an empty chair at the table, a chair for Jesus. The guests will talk to Him as a part of their dinner conversation. Okay, that may be pretty weird, but I'm seeing it differently now. In previous years I would have said, "Your just imagining it" in a rather negative sense. Now I say, "You're absolutely imagining it," in the most positive possible tone. 

God is real. Imagination is real. 

Prayer:

"If I ascend to heaven, you are there, O God.

And if I make my bed in hell, still you are with me."

                                                     --Psalm 139:8

Be still, and aware of God's presence, within and all around.

                                                      --Celtic Prayers from Iona

Faithfully,

Christian

P.S. Tomorrow is response to your comments day. I will be responding to Glenn's comment from the end of last week. I would love to have one or two more comments or questions.