you may say i'm a dreamer, but i'm not the only one

I admire poets. No. That’s not quite accurate. I envy poets. The spring from which their work flows is the imagination. The source of the poetic is imagination. There’s no clear set of rules to be a poet. There’s no boundaries to speak of. There’s only the imagination, a pregnant world of ideas that gives birth through creativity. Poets know this. But, I wonder about those of us who read the Bible.

I think that imagination is the key to understanding such an ancient text as the Bible. While some suggest that proper interpretation requires certain theological borders, I believe the word from God comes in a “still small voice” which makes one free rather than captive. It is a voice of liberation, not oppression. It’s the difference between knowing what the Biblical text meant and imagining what it means. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." It is one thing to “know the Bible.” It’s another thing to engage in imagining what it means.

Does this mean that anything goes or that whatever our imagination creates is justified? By no means! It is God’s voice that speaks, not our own. It is the faithful witness of a community that leads us from self-centered pride to self-sacrificing humility. Pride asks the question, “What does this mean to me?” Humility asks, “What can this mean for us?”

Imagination unlocks interpretation. Reading the Bible in the same way a poet fashions a poem opens the possibility that mere words on a page may reveal the Word of God.

Are We There Yet?

I cannot help but think that early explorers such as Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and many others set out on their quests without the slightest idea where they would end up. Being an explorer is like that. It’s adventurous, risky, and even scary. Furthermore, as you set sail, I suspect that the primary focus is on the journey more so than the destination.

Faith is the same way. While there are many from a modern perspective who turn faith into a destination, my postmodern hunch is that there are countless pilgrims, pioneers, and explorers who do not (cannot?) have a clue where this journey called faith will end. And this poses no problems for us postmodern mariners. Let me be more specific.

Faith is about taking risks instead of finding security.
Faith is being adventurous not apprehensive.
Faith is facing the fear of uncertainty.

I have experienced people of faith who have all the answers. They know exactly where they’re going, how to get there, and how long it will take. But I wonder, isn’t it rather easy to have faith when you have it all figured out. Is that even faith at all?

Faith is hard. Faith is not knowing where we’re going, but getting in the boat anyway. Paul Tillich said, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith. It is an element of faith.” I like that. I like that because, like you, I have doubts. Like you, I have questions.

Perhaps the Indigo Girls put it best, “There’s more than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line.” I don’t imagine that the explorers sailed all that straight. Why do we expect to do so? Maybe more than once, the crew would ask their captains, “Do you have any idea where we are?” And the captain might say, “I know exactly where we are. We’re on a journey.”

Faith is an exploration.