By Rick Moore
Albert Einstein said, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” He also said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” He added, “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere. It is hard to force young people to excel in math and science. Yet, if you inspire them to make a rocket that takes people back and forth to Mars, suddenly, those same young people have a desire to learn math and science.
My wife used to work in the theme park industry. We lived in Orlando for eleven years, and enjoyed learning how many of the creative projects were produced. In Orlando you can find magical kingdoms that make fairy tales seem real, and walk through real worlds that are transformed into fairy tales. Engineers are often referred to as imagineers because they do more than construct. They bring new worlds to life, and transport visitors to dreamlands and utopias. Guests are willing to enter a mindset where suspension of disbelief is the norm. Through the use of forced perception, costume characters, music, special effects, and state of the art technology, theme parks become incubators for our imagination. Unfortunately, we can not always live as guests in a theme park. We have to find ways to spark our imagination, even when our environments are not always conducive to such thinking.
Before television was invented, families used to gather around the radio. Listeners could not see what was happening, so they used their imagination. They couldn’t see the football player score a touchdown. They didn’t see the batter hit the home run. They couldn’t see the alien that was destroying the city. These events may have looked a bit different in the mind of each listener, but no visual effects were needed. In many ways, because they were forced to use their imagination, the visualizations in their minds were bigger and better than any special effects film could possibly be.
Not only does imagination foster inspiration, but inspiration fosters hope. We are not talking about hype. We are talking about hope. We must be much more concerned about squashing the dreams of others than we are about injecting a dose of realism into a situation. If a young lady tells you she wants to become President of the United States one day, please do not let your first response be to tell her the odds are about one out of three hundred million she can win. By its very definition, hope is an optimistic state of mind, not a realistic one. Hope is based on the expectation of a positive outcome.
One of the most inspirational stories I’ve ever known is that of football player Shaquem Griffin. Even though Shaquem only had one hand, he played Division I NCAA Football at UCF, led his team to an undefeated season, and then went on to play in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. The coolest part of his story is he now spends his time assisting retired players, providing guidance and support for whatever they might be going through. Who would have ever imagined a person with only one hand could make it to the NFL? He did. What an imagination!
Perhaps the most inspirational story of this year is that of Jane “Nightbirde” Marczewski. Jane inspired millions while singing her original song “It’s OK” on America’s Got Talent. It is one of the most viewed videos of the year. I can’t watch it without crying. Jane died of cancer shortly after her Golden Buzzer performance. Here is what her family said: “Her lasting legacy will be the gift of hope she gave to so many through her music and the strength she found in Jesus.” Imagination is needed to discover new worlds. Imagination is needed to invent the latest gadget. But sometimes, imagination is needed most, just to be able to say, “It’s OK.”
Rick Moore is Communication Pastor at Destiny Worship Center.
