Saturday, December 17, 2011

imagineering

Imagineering. I love Disney for the gift of that word.

I don’t think we can be Christians without a child-sized imagination.

Last weekend I watched my mother-in-law and her sister walk among Alzheimer patients at the
nursing home, talking to each resident with the most tender love and cheerfulness I have ever seen. Some residents drool and can only make unintelligible sounds. Some stare, seemingly lifeless. What an imagination it takes to picture these end-stage Alzheimer patients as people.

Peter Pan. He only had to regain his imagination. “You’re doing it, Peter!” And Neverland displayed all of its color and delight.

Like a boring adult I see the people in my world only as who they are at that tick of the clock.

Broken.
Annoying.
Dishonest.
Angry.
Lacking.

Jesus looked at people and saw what they could be.

Whole.
Joyful.
Clean.
Pure.
Complete.

What an imagination Jesus had, to picture me, in the magic of His mind’s eye, as someone who could one day be holy.

At a time of year when imagination is most in demand, to believe in santa and elves and a North
Pole, may I have an equally wild imagination to picture who a person could be through the power of Christ.

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