It’s a fundamental tenet of Christian theology: in order for finite humans to grasp the infinite God, God must reveal himself to us. He does this in two ways. General Revelation is broad in content and universally accessible. It takes place through things like nature and history. Special Revelation is specific in content and accessible to particular people. It includes visions, dreams, Scripture, etc.
We are reminded of the variety of Special Revelation in the introduction to Hebrews:
Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets, in visions, dreams, and even face to face, telling them little by little about his plans. But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son to whom he has given everything and through whom he made the world and everything there is. (Heb. 1:1-2 TLB)
One of the things I experienced during my 30 days of silence is the way in which God uses the imagination for revelation. Imagination, in this sense, does not refer to something imaginary or pretend. It refers to seeing something with our mind or our heart that we cannot necessarily see with our eyes. Kevin O’Brien writes that “Ignatius was convinced that God can speak to us as surely through our imagination as through our thoughts and memories.” This way of reading Scripture is called “Ignatian contemplation” and is especially suited for the Gospels. It is a way of accompanying Jesus through his life by imagining scenes from the Gospel stories. (“The Ignatian Adventure”).
Ignatian contemplation is a way of imagining ourselves within a story in the Bible. We strive to take the place of one of the characters in the story, standing in his/her shoes. We ask ourselves: What do I see, hear, taste, touch or smell? What do I feel? Specifically, do I feel consolation or desolation? And what is God saying to me through all of this?
Ignatius defined desolation as an experience of being empty of things such as love, joy and faith. An experience of God being distant. It is also the experience of being filled with things such as restlessness, agitation, boredom, apathy, fear, worry and secrecy. As we imagine ourselves within a biblical scene we may experience these feelings of desolation. And God may be saying something to us through them.
Conversely, consolation is an experience of being filled with things such as love, joy and faith. An experience of God being present. We have peace and tranquility. We are inspired to do great things. As we imagine ourselves within a biblical scene we may experience these feelings of consolation. And God may be saying something to us through them.
Ignatius was clear that any conclusion we reach through an imaginative or contemplative reading of a text must be tempered by at least three things. It must should be shared/clarified with mentors like a spiritual director. It should be shared/clarified with spiritual companions (spiritual peers). And it should be consistent with 2,000 years of church teaching.
During my sabbatical I was guided to engage imagination in several ways. First, I spent hours in imaginative readings of Gospel texts and other texts, placing myself within the story and experiencing that story through that person/character. The rejection scene at Nazareth. The Last Supper. The steps of Jesus on the way to the cross (the “stations” of the cross). All of these provided rich opportunities to hear from God.
Second, I spent hours in imaginative conversations with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I was encouraged to write letters to the Trinity and to write their responses to my letters. At times these “imaginary” conversations grew out of my meditation upon the texts. But at other times they grew out of experiences during the day. (This, by the way, is the basis of a wildly popular book “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. Young uses this same technique to imagine Jesus speaking directly to her through Scripture).
Third, I spent hours in imaginative places/settings. For example, at a local park there was a large stage where bands would play. I imagined ways in which I tend to place myself “on stage” in front of others, and how I need to place Jesus “on stage.” At an outdoor wedding chapel, I imagined wedding myself to the Trinity. I imagined my vows to each and their vows to me.
On the other side of the sabbatical, I continue to engage imagination in two ways. One is Lectio Divina, a way of reading Scripture that forces me to slow down and truly consider what God may be saying specifically to me at a certain time/place. The other is the Examen, which also forces me to slow down and re-imagine a period of time in the past, striving to see/hear/experience ways in which God showed up during that time.
The greatest command is to love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind and strength. I, like many, have focused largely on loving God with my mind. An intellectual faith. A faith that uses logic and reason. I, however, like many, need additionally to be called to love the Lord with my heart and my soul. An emotional and affecting faith. A faith that feels and imagines. A faith that believes God speaks through our emotions and experiences, not in spite of our emotions and experiences.
Truly, truly…
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