13 Sermon Illustrations on Imagination

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A Sioux Indian, who had lost a relative by death, vowed to kill the first living thing he met. This was once not an uncommon practise among our Indians. Issuing from his lodge, he chanced to meet a missionary--a man much beloved by all, from whom this Indian had received many favors. Unwilling, but bound by his vow, he shot his benefactor as he passed. Indian usage did not sanction a bloody retribution on the murderer, since the obligation of his vow was recognized by all. The shaman, however, upbraided him for his act, and pronounced his doom, saying: “You will die within the year.” The Indian, tho apparently a well man at the time, was seized by a wasting disease, and actually did die within the specified time, a victim to his own superstitious imagination.--H. W. HENSHAW, _The Youth’s Companion_.

“Seeing all the possibilities, seeing all that can be done, and HOW is can be done, marks the power of imagination. Our imaginations are our own personal laboratory. Here, we can (create, or) recreate events, map out plans and visualize overcoming obstacles. Imagination shows us how to turn possibility into reality” — Wynn Davis.

Albert Einstein also went to his grave crying that it was important for us to realize that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. He knew that although knowledge and information represents our present, or our past, IMAGINATION IS OUR FUTURE !

Holding that thought, our opening article demonstrates, dramatically, just what a difference your imagination can make. When added to mundane and everyday situations, the effects are nothing short of alchemy.

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4698]

There were once two men, both seriously ill, in the same small room of a great hospital. Quite a small room, it had one window looking out on the world. One of the men, as part of his treatment, was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon (something to do with draining the fluid from his lungs). His bed was next to the window. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

Every afternoon when the man next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. The window apparently overlooked a park where there was a lake. There were ducks and swans in the lake, and children came to throw them bread and sail model boats. Young lovers walked hand in hand beneath the trees, and there were flowers and stretches of grass, games of softball. And at the back, behind the fringe of trees, was a fine view of the city skyline.

The man on his back would listen to the other man describe all of this, enjoying every minute. He heard how a child nearly fell into the lake, and how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses. His friend's descriptions eventually made him feel he could almost see what was happening outside.

Then one fine afternoon, the thought struck him: Why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn't he get the chance? He felt ashamed, but the more he tried not to think like that, the worse he wanted a change. He'd do anything! One night as he stared at the ceiling, the other man suddenly woke up, coughing and choking, his hands groping for the button that would bring the nurse running. But the man watched without moving - even when the sound of breathing stopped. In the morning, the nurse found the other man dead, and quietly took his body away.

As soon as it seemed decent, the man asked if he could be switched to the bed next to the window. So they moved him, tucked him in, and made him quite comfortable. The minute they left, he propped himself up on one elbow, painfully and laboriously, and looked out the window.

It faced a blank wall.

Moral of the story: The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.

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Author Unknown (moral found in a version in the Fredericksburg Collection of illustrations). Submitted by Ronald Dahlsten and Harriette Lindsey, from A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, copyright 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen [Snopes.com says the plot of this "legend" is so beloved of fiction writers that it was included in a 1946 round-up of shopworn storylines. According to "101 Plots Used and Abused," the original was written by Alan Seager and published in Collier's.]

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Another version from PreachingNow newsletter, May 12, 2009. This one removes the hint of murder:

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch; and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.” (from Mikey’s Funnies)

No one, who has read and experienced a story, will ever be completely satisfied with someone else's re-telling. To narrow an author's creativity down to one visual image on a screen is to trivialize the wonders of one of God's greatest gifts to us, our imagination.

A good example is the conclusion of the delightful movie, A PRINCESS BRIDE. There is a culminating kiss between the hero and his maiden. During the kiss, we hear the voice of the grandfather who has been reading this story to his grandson, and we see the power of imagination over the visual. On the screen we see only a kiss, and how many times have we seen a movie kiss? They're all the same. But from the narrator we hear:

"In the history of true love, there have been five truly great

kisses, but this one surpassed them all in its purity and its

passion."

The kiss on the screen pales in comparison to the one in our imaginations as we hear the words of the story.

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The second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy has hit the silver screens across the United States and Canada. “The Two Towers” promises to be as exhilarating as the first release, “The Fellowship of the Ring.” If you read J.R.R. Tolkien in your youth, or if you are a recent enthusiast because of the flicks, you won't be disappointed.

Some Christians struggle with Tolkien's creative work because of his use of fictional characters, magical rings, middle-earth hobbits, legends and mystical themes. These same people often take offense at the mental images painted via words in the allegorical “Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis. While Tolkien's writings do not allegorically paint a picture of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, he uses fantasy as a means to communicate positive values and truths every Christian would deem appropriate.

We know the Lord Jesus used words to paint mental pictures to emphasize his teachings. As one reads the Gospels, you cannot avoid seeing that Jesus used symbolic characters and objects to communicate his timeless message. He used descriptive words like “sower,” “lost sheep,” “lost coin” or “serpents.” Each word has symbolic meaning and his listeners opened their minds and hearts to the imagery as a means to help them grasp a deeper truth.

Tolkien and Lewis produced some of the 20th century's greatest fiction and nonfiction literary works. No pre-collegiate education of a child would be complete without a study of Tolkien, Lewis and George MacDonald in early 20th-century English literature. These were deeply religious men who were skilled wordsmiths, and they crafted their words to articulate timeless truths. The only thing that might possibly ban their study in public classrooms is religious bias.

Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware, in “Finding God in the Lord of the Rings,” write that Tolkien's work is “a tale of redemption in which the main characters overcome cowardly self-preservation to model heroic self-sacrifice. Their bravery mirrors the greatest heroic rescue of all time, when Christ 'humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on the cross!'“

Perhaps one of the most powerful truths taught in the Lord of the Rings is that great things can happen through personalities who are not large. In this tale, the hero is a little guy, more specifically a boyish hobbit with hairy feet. There are plenty of strong characters with incredible abilities within the context of the tale. However, none of the superhero-like characters is the one chosen to carry and protect the ring. Followers of the Lord Jesus know that God often uses the foolish things, the little things of this world to confound those who think themselves so wise.

Similarly, do you recall the event in the Bible when Samuel is instructed to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king of Israel? After all of Jesse's sons, the potential candidates, were marched in front of the old wise prophet, Samuel asked Jesse if he had another son. Sure enough, there was the little runt out in the field tending the flocks. “Bring him here,” cried the prophet. When Samuel laid eyes on the lad, he knew the boy was the one God was calling out to be the king of his people. This is the lad who would stand before Goliath, the champion of the Philistines and lead God's people to victory. This would be the lad who would become a man after God's heart. “'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,'“ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8 NIV).

In Tolkien's fiction, good triumphs over evil via a hobbit with a ring in his little hands. God often brings the deliverance of his people through the most unexpected means -- Gideon's army of 300, a lad with a rock in his sling or a baby in a Bethlehem manger.

This is not a promotional piece for a movie that millions of Americans will see in the next few months. However, it is a word to encourage Christians to celebrate the gift of creativity, imagination and thought. Perhaps in our celebration, the Lord will call out a new generation of Christian wordsmiths who will surpass the genius and the depth of the literary greats of the previous century.

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Yeats is editor of the Baptist Messenger, newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.

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Version in sermon:

Tolkien's “The Two Towers” has many parallels with Christianity.

The latest blockbuster movie in the series has a much gloomier air than the first one. Monstrous orcs battle humans and elves - and even trees. It contains some truths that many moviegoers will undoubtedly miss.

Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware wrote an article entitled “Finding God in the Lord of the Rings.” The say Tolkien's work is “a tale of redemption in which the main characters overcome cowardly self-preservation to model heroic self-sacrifice. Their bravery mirrors the greatest heroic rescue of all time, when Christ 'humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross!'“

Perhaps one of the most powerful truths taught in the Lord of the Rings is that great things can happen through personalities who are not large. In this tale, the hero is a little guy, more specifically a boyish hobbit with hairy feet. There are plenty of strong characters with incredible abilities within the context of the tale. However, none of the superhero-like characters is the one chosen to carry and protect the ring.

Followers of the Lord Jesus know that God often uses the foolish things, the little things of this world to confound those who think themselves so wise.

In Tolkien's fiction, good triumphs over evil via a hobbit with a ring in his little hands. God often brings the deliverance of his people through the most unexpected means - Gideon's army of 300, a lad with a rock in his sling or a baby in a Bethlehem manger.

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Waiting in long lines at the mall to get this year's must-have toy for your kid, at retail or above prices? Forget it: the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum in Rochester, N.Y., has inducted one of the most cherished toys of childhood into its collection, the plain old cardboard box. “I think every adult has had that disillusioning experience of picking what they think is a wonderful toy for a child, and then finding the kid playing with the box,” explained Christopher Bensch, chief curator at Strong. “It's that empty box full of possibilities that the kids can sense and the adults don't always see.”

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Associated Press

“I shut my eyes in order to see,” said French painter, sculptor, and artist Paul Gauguin. As a little girl, though completely unaware of this insightful quote on imagination, I lived this maxim. Nothing was more exhilarating to me than closing my eyes in order to imagine far away exotic lands, a handsome prince, or a deep enough hole leading straight to China!

In fact, like many, imagination fueled my young heart and mind. After reading C.S. Lewis’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA I would walk into dark closets filled with warm winter coats fully expecting to be transported like the Pevensie children into the land of Narnia. Charlotte’s Web took me to a farm where I could talk to my dog, like Fern talked to Wilbur, or to the spiders that hung from intricate webs in my garage. Pictures on the wall came to life and danced before me; ordinary objects became extraordinary tools enabling me to defeat all those imaginary giants and inspiring me toward powerful possibilities fueled by vivid imagination.

Sadly, as happens to many adults, my imagination has changed. I don’t often view my closet as a doorway to unseen worlds, nor do I pretend that my dogs understand one word of my verbal affection towards them. Pictures don’t come to life, and I no longer pretend my garden rake or broom is a secret weapon against fantastical foes. Often, I feel that my imagination has become nothing more than wishful thinking. Rather than thinking creatively about the life I’ve been given, I day-dream about what my life might be like if...I lived in Holland, for example, or could back-pack across Europe, or lived on a kibbutz, or was a famous actress, or a world-renowned tennis player, or any number of alternative lives to the one I currently occupy.

Sadly, the imagination so vital in my youth doesn’t often infuse my life with creative possibility, but rather leads me only to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. Mid-life regrets reduce imagination to restlessness, and shrivel creative thinking to nothing more than unsettled daydreams. Rather than allowing my imagination to be animated by living into God’s creative power, I allow it to be tethered to worldly dreams of more, or better, or simply other.

The psalmist was not in a mid-life imaginative crisis when he penned Psalm 90. Nevertheless, this psalm attributed to Moses, was a prayer to the God who can redeem imagination for our one life to live. Perhaps, Moses wrote this psalm after an endless day of complaint from wilderness-weary Israelites. Perhaps it was written with regret that his violent outburst against the rock would bar him from entry into the Promised Land. Whatever event prompted its writing, it is a song sung in a minor key, with regret so great he feels consumed by God’s anger and dismayed by God’s wrath (Ps. 90:7-8).

Whether prompted by deep regret, disillusionment, or a simple admitting of reality, Moses reflects on the brevity of life. He compares it to the grass “which sprouts anew. In the morning, it flourishes; toward evening it fades, and withers away” (Psalm 90:6). Indeed, he concedes that “a thousand years in God’s sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night” (90:4). Before we know it, our life is past, and what do we have to show for it? Have we lived creatively? Have we used our imagination to infuse our fleeting, one-and-only lives to bring forth offerings of beauty and blessing?

Imagination, like any other gift, has the potential for good or for ill. It has power to fill my one and only life with creative possibility, or it has the potential to become nothing more than wishful thinking. As the psalmist suggests, our lives can be full of creative possibility when we desire hearts that seek to live wisely, live joyfully, and live gladly before the Lord, the God of infinite imagination and creativity.

Imagination built upon a foundation of gratitude invites us to live our lives with hope and with possibility to imagine great things for our God-given lives. “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard...all that God has prepared for those who love him” (Isaiah 64:4; 65:17). Can you imagine it?

In light of our transience, we have the choice to live creatively and imaginatively or wishfully longing for another life. We can choose to dwell in the presence of the God of infinite imagination for what our lives can be or we can choose to waste our time peering over to the other side. Yet we only have one life to live, “so, teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom...that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days...and confirm the work of our hands” (90:12, 14b, 15a, 17).

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Copyright © 2008 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.