When we speak of seeing the unseen, it is generally a very positive thing these days. Leaders who have “vision” are sought after. That is the ability to envision the unseen. Artists who are especially “creative” are the ones receiving the greatest applause. They have the ability to see or express what no one else is seeing or expressing. Economic forecasters are worth their weight in gold these days. They are the ones in whom investors trust. [For those that didn’t get the reference, even our dollar bills tell us that it is “In God We Trust.”] In the church, the gift of prophecy is making a long delayed comeback. Too many years have seen emphases upon some of the more tactile gifts like mercy, helps, service, leadership and giving. They have grit and day to day practicality. But, prophecy is that gift that should be held in high esteem since it is really seeing things the way God sees them and reporting it to the appropriate audience. That is seeing the unseen in the most important way.
Coupled with this motif of vision, creativity and the ability to forecast- seeing the unseen- is the root ability to imagine. [I’m not really sure where imagination might play in the prophetic. I’m still thinking about that one. It seems to me that most prophets in the Old Testament were not as playful as those in other categories who have great imagination. For instance, I cannot “imagine” Jeremiah as author of “The Chronicles of Narnia.”] Imagination is most active in those whose mind and heart can go a distance from where the hands and feet and eyes are at present.
Again, imagination is almost always seen in our contemporary culture as a value add- a positive quality. But, I believe that is “seeing it” poorly. It is our culture’s attempt to only take the positive results of imagination and conclude it as virtue. But, look at the other side of imagination for a moment. The person with attention deficit problems often has a great imagination. The fallout is sometimes severe, in spite of the jokes with which they must endure. The person who is constantly distracted and cannot focus often has a vibrant imagination- the reason for their lack of focus. The end result is a life without focus and a forgetfulness that gets him/her in constant trouble with others. The person who is only looking to a future that is disconnected with the present is one of the most gifted at imagination. Unfortunately, they are constantly living in a dream world of the stardom or wealth that they envision themselves having. In the most insidious cases, it displaces the present. I have seen marriages wrecked because of one party living in a dream world that is detached from the one in which their spouse unfortunately must live. As another example, the most severe cases of psychosis and schizophrenia find the imagined either displacing the real or co-opting it in ways, to the chagrin and trauma of the affected himself.
I am coming to the conclusion that imagination is neutral, but not benign. It is impactful in a most powerful way. It moves by the heart and mind possessing it. And, those hearts and minds are not idle or neutral. You see, all that glitters is not gold. The qualifying question for imagination should be, “What are the purpose, focus and value of the person imagining?” If the focus is on wealth, fame and the like, the imagination will take a person to places where one can hold them closer than they are in reality or should be. If the focus is “on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” then our imagination will help us envision him contextually or transport us in powerful ways in the Spirit, not only giving us what we want but standing by us in our darkest hour. If our purpose is living for God, then we will be able to “think on these things” (Philippians 4:8) in ways that allow our imagination to percolate the true, noble, right, pure and lovely that sometimes goes unnoticed. Our imagination will allow us to think of things for which to be thankful that would come in no other way. However, if our purpose is to elevate ourselves above all others, then our imagination will take us there as well. We will be transported to the very worry motivated by the self protection of which Jesus warns (Matthew 6:25-30).
The bent of the heart and mind and the orientation of our faith pushes the imagination toward its own orientation. The core of the person will determine whether their imagination will be a boon or a bane, a virtue or a vice. Imagination is not a standard virtue, an automatic blessing. It is a tool. I pray for a heart that yearns for God and everything good. Then, when in prayer and even in reading the Scripture, I find it amazing how one can be transported to see the unseen in new ways. Imagining how God can work through faithful servants who are fully yielded to Him makes me want to work harder. Imagining heaven through the opaque window of metaphor and simile given us in Scripture makes me yearn even more for it. Imagine that!