One of many things my mother passed on to me was the love of reading. She could disappear into a book and remain oblivious to her surroundings (i.e. the nagging of my siblings) for what seemed like forever. She would plead with gift-giving family members for books for us, well before we could read. I think I ‘read’ lots of books to my plush Lambie, guided, of course, by the colored illustrations, or re-told them in my version after her initial reading of them to me.
Books opened new worlds, vast horizons, fantastic scenarios, unknown to me in my real, semi-rural Canadian context. And no e-book can supplant the unique pleasure of holding a paper-paged book. Yes, they are heavy. Yes, they crowd bookshelves and countertops and closets and . . . But, Oh! The sheer joy of a new tome, a new story, a new cast of characters, a new adventure! All the above elements come leap to life; their faces, their characters, their voices even. This is so powerfully true that after reading a book, I no longer want to see a movie adaptation. They are such a letdown! The actors are never right, their voices aren’t a match, and at some point, the cinematographers fail to portray the story as my vivid imagination has determined it to be. Alas!
For all this, however, I find myself, with all my imaginative capabilities, to be more Western than I would have thought. Take, for example, the world of the Spirit. I believe that it, and he, is active in my life and in yours and in the world today. But the realm of the spirit of Darkness can get relegated conveniently to that of make believe. To the less than palpable. To the ‘more story-like’ than real. To the ‘not to be taken too seriously.’ It’s shocking to discover that for the Enemy of our Souls this is a big win. With this thinking, he is free to create all kinds of skullduggery while causes are sought which keep him hidden from view. (the opposite mindset, the ‘devil behind every bush,’ can create such paranoia that it denigrates the power of the workings of the Holy Spirit).
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: “Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all of this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you!” (3:20, TPT). Yes! We live surrounded by spirit or the spiritual realm which is dominated by God Who is for us! To build our faith! To encourage us as His ambassadors to encourage others. His story ‘lives’ in us, is being told by us, revives our hopes and imaginations. And the ending of His story now ours? You can hold it in your hands and have the joy of reading it for yourself! Prepare to be amazed! PD
