How much do you use your imagination in your faith walk with Jesus? I have pondered these words of Malcolm Muggeridge for years:
Only mystics, clowns, and artists, in my experience, speak the truth, which as poet
and mystic William Blake keeps insisting is perceptible to the imagination rather
than the mind. Our knowledge of Jesus Christ is far too serious a business to be
left to theologians and exegetes alone.
Maybe Muggeridge is right and we are listening too much to theologians and exegetes and too little to mystics, clowns, and artists.
Our left brain can only carry us so far. At that point we must turn ‘right’ and allow the imaginative and creative part of our brain to take the lead.
In our understanding of God and his ways, we will always “See through a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:12). This leads us into the territory of mystery and, mystery can never be captured or contained in dogma or doctrine.
In the words of one of my favorite writers, Stephen Shortridge, “If you think about it, God is the ultimate artist, an impressionist not a realist, and on his palette are paradox, and contradiction and, paradox and contradiction are just as beautiful as all the other colors he uses to display his splendor.”
Easter reminds us that we need desperately to leave room, a lot of room, for paradox and contradiction. If we can’t accept God’s hand at work in the contradictions and paradoxes we experience, then our faith walk will not be mystery. It will be misery.
Even though Scripture tells us that God’s ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts, we still don’t believe it and rebel against it almost on a daily basis.
We want realism (doctrine, dogma, and self-righteousness) but God is an impressionist using a canvas of trials, uncertainty, and mystery to create his masterpiece of love, forgiveness, and mercy.
Imagine how life would be if we learned to appreciate paradox and contradiction as much as we do certainty. This is why I appreciate so much the way Mark ends his telling of the Easter story. In Mark 16:8, we read, “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”
Now, my precious friends, run with your imagination!
Happy Easter.
Richard Hipps
I celebrate his resurrection with you. He is risen!
Signed,
Your Favorite Mystic Clown Artist
🙂
You are THAT indeed my friend. Love you and miss you. Happy Easter!
As surreal as somethings appear in our lives, it is very hard to accept without a lot of faith in God and the ability to step away from this hard fixed line, this box we try to make everything fit into. You have to step outside of this box and learn to flow with God’s way and always remember His ways are not our way. We must learn to conform to His ways instead of always trying to again fit everything into preconceived molds and boxes. Just be thankful He loves and cares for us even though we are so broken and imperfect.
A Blessed Easter to you and your family!
Good word my friend. Love you and yours.