"In my dream
the Angel shrugged
and said,’If we fail this time
it will be a
failure of imagination.’
And then she
placed the world
gently
in the palm of my hand."
~ B. Andreas, Imagining World
A failure of imagination…..now there’s a concept. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where there was a ‘failure of imagination?’ So many times, particularly in institutions like the church and government, we suffer from a failure of imagination. We can become so hooked into doing it the ‘way we’ve always done it’ that we fail to see the possibilities, the creative stroke of genius that is right at our fingertips. As individuals we become so set in our own way of seeing a situation that we fail to open our eyes to the gifts of imagination of others around us.
So we get stuck and we then lament why we are not growing, why we can’t find our way out of declines and seeming failure. Imagination is risky business. It is fueled by dreams and wildness and the possibility of failure. But it is also powered by the freedom to think beyond the obvious, to ask the all important question:"What if?"
What if we gave that up and tried this instead? What if we started at this time and not that? What if we open our hearts and our doors in ways we never have before? What if we allowed the little child to lead us? So many ways to ask the question.
How does this question form in your life? Where is your life begging for the power of imagination? It is a long weekend. Perhaps it is a good time to take stock of those places that are stuck in old patterns that are no longer contributing to growth. Perhaps it is a good time to let your imagination run wild…..and then follow it. It could just be the start of something wonderful. You might find the world resting in the palm of your hand.
Enjoy what looks to be a beautiful weekend……………….