Reclaiming My Imagination for Christ Through the Scriptures
I recently revisited the harrowing Old Testament story of the widow Judith and I was struck by how it moved my imagination. Judith was the courageous Israelite widow who single-handedly saved the Israelite people by beheading the evil General Holofernes in his own tent.
In the aftermath of her victory and subsequent fame, Judith did not take advantage of her newfound glory, but rather composed psalms of praise to God and committed herself to a life of humility and generosity in service of the Most High.
This is one of the many Bible stories that I have become re-enchanted with since I committed, several years ago, to reading Scripture every day. As my love for Jesus has grown deeper, I‘ve realized that my desire to hear his voice every day can be easily met. Through Scripture, the voice of God through his Word is always available.
In particular, the story of Judith has had an impact on me that is comparable to the effects of a great film that lingers with you for days or weeks (or years!). I remember, as a child, I would watch a movie that captured my imagination and I would hope not only to remember the story, but that I would actually become a part of the story.
As an adult, I have found that reading the great stories of Scripture has had a similar impact. The Scripture stories I read inspire in me a desire to continue the legacy of virtue, adventure and humble service that the greats of Scripture lived.
Judith, St. Paul, King David, Queen Esther, Jael, St. John, Joseph, the prophetess Deborah: these are the men and women whose spiritual legacy I desire to carry forward. Rather than indulging in escapism, the stories of the Bible call us to play our own part in the Great Adventure of following Christ.
Those holy men and women who have gone before us into Heaven are often referred to as the “Church Triumphant.” When I fill my imagination with the stories of the heroes who came before, I am spurred on by the sense that the Church Triumphant has got my back. This legacy that extends behind us motivates me to press on in my pursuit of holiness, especially when it’s challenging. Life is marked by both suffering and the mundane. Both can be hard to wrestle with and amid those challenges we need something aspirational to reach for. That is exactly what the stories of Scripture have offered me.
Reading the stories of Scripture has not only given me fuel for my daily pursuit of holiness; reading the stories of Scripture has also done much to heal my imagination.
Hollywood has produced many pieces of noble entertainment that have the capacity to edify and inspire those who watch. However, the worst of Hollywood has produced countless hours of entertainment that has corroded our imaginations with worldliness and sin.
St. Augustine is often attributed as having said that “what you contemplate, you become.” Our souls are sensitive and whatever we regularly consume will change our inclinations and either reinforce or change what we believe. Through reading the stories of Biblical heroes, my imagination is becoming a contemplative reservoir of virtue, rather than one of vice. The stories created by Hollywood too often celebrate hedonism or adventure for the sake of self-gratification, rather than adventure for the sake of following Christ.
We must pray for a restoration within ourselves of an innocent desire for heroic virtue and holy adventure. Reading Scripture has the power to restore these noble ambitions to their rightful place within our hearts. The more we steep ourselves in the Word of God, the more our thoughts and subsequent behaviors will be conformed to Christ.
If you’re looking for simple ways to remember to read Scripture each day, these are a few ideas that have helped me.
First, I keep my Bible on my bedside table. Not in a drawer, not on a shelf. I even took the cover off of it. I make it as easy as possible for me to open up the Scriptures each evening and read.
Connected to my entertainment habits, I have also chosen to watch a lot more entertainment that is focused on Biblical stories or themes. There have been many times that a great film depicting Scriptural stories has found me turning to Scripture to read “the real thing.”
Finally, I ask the Lord to remind me to read his Word each day. We are forgetful little creatures who often forget what is good for us. I have found it helpful to ask Jesus, in humility, to nurture in me an eagerness to read Scripture and the memory to actually do so. He will grant you your request.
Rather than dimming the call of Christ in our lives by consuming material that dishonors him, the stories of Scripture are here to form in us the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Christ is inviting you into his Great Adventure! To contemplate the stories of Scripture is to accept His invitation and to prepare for whatever He has in store for you - and for all of us.