There is a book called, “The Screwtape Letters”, written by C.S. Lewis. It is a compilation of letters written by Screwtape, an experienced devil, to another junior devil. In the sixth letter, the experienced devil explains how to effectively attack humans. He explains human nature as a series of concentric circles. In the center is the human’s will, then his intellect, and then his imagination.
In this diagram, fantasy/imagination acts as a passageway to reach a human’s inner self. If the outermost circle is continuously inflated with misguided fantasies/imagination, it will start to weaken one’s intellect, and eventually, one’s will. One of Satan’s primary goals is to continuously pump false fantasies/imaginations into this outer circle. It is kinda like how you need to constantly supply wood in a stove to keep the flame going. Satan only needs to throw false imaginations into this realm. Then the humans will gobble it up.. The realm of imagination, the realm where we recognize and think about the intangible things . . . From our perspective, such a realm seems unimportant. Hence, we often relinquish it to Satan without much of a fight. As a result however, the direction we head in life changes.
We often think that dreaming and imagining are only appropriate for children. However, the power of imagination is enormous: dreams and imaginations have powered many achievements of the human race. Therefore, dreaming and imagining good and right is crucial. What I dream today shapes what I become tomorrow.
The new year of 2023 has started. It is time for us to pray that God’s dream becomes our dream, that what God wants for tomorrow becomes my dream today. I pray I would be captivated by such imagination. The same goes to the Nashua Hanmaum Church. I have a dream of our worship service and our mokjang. There are times while praying when my heart gets worked up thinking about such a dream. That dream shapes our church and myself today. When I look at our children, I start to dream as well. I imagine our children praising with all their heart. I dream of the single teardrop that will form in the corner of their eye when the grace of God touches them. I dream of them devoting themselves to God in their daily lives.
Now is the time to dream. I pray that God’s dream for you, for our family, and for our mokjang will be poured into our hearts again.
Following the shepherd…
Pastor Jiwon Choi
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