Imagine: What if it's More Important Than You Think?

Continuing with our March theme, What If?, on Sunday, Rev. Dr. Pam Ninneman asked us, "What if imagination is one of the most powerful tools we have?"

That wasn't rhetorical. While I’ve always loved the idea of imagination, I hadn't put it in the context of our philosophy quite so directly. And yet, it's actually foundational. Without it, a Spiritual Mind Treatment wouldn’t have much power.

Taking us back to our childhoods, we were reminded that once upon a time, we saw the world with childlike wonder. We didn't need permission to believe things could be different. We played with abandon, believed we were superheroes, and that anything was possible. And at some point, we became practical adults, taking on the serious work of 'adulting,' leaving that childlike wonder behind.

In 1971, Rev. Pam recalled, John Lennon wrote Imagine (Sunday's message song, sung beautifully by Chris Sullivan). The world was in turmoil. Vietnam. The Cold War. Civil rights. Deep social fractures. And Lennon asked us to imagine something better.

Beatles bandmate George Harrison, one of my personal favorites, asked for something similar with his prayer, “Give me love, give me peace on earth,” and in Within You, Without You, showed how peace lives within us:

“When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there. And the time will come when you see we're all one.” - George Harrison

For many of us, today's global turmoil feels like uncharted territory. It can feel like the ground keeps shifting, solid footing may be hard to find, and oneness impossible to imagine. Many are experiencing anxiety amid so much uncertainty ‘out there.’ There are real divisions, and it's unsettling.

And yet, this isn't new ground for humanity when we look at history, even recent history.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Taking John Lennon's words to heart, what if we organized ourselves around something other than fear, which seems to be pervasive if we're looking outward? What if more is possible — more love, more peace, more compassion — than what we currently see?  That place where love wins, and where the world is more compassionate, is worth showing up for.

Those songs asked important questions and shared alternative visions for us to hold onto. They gave us something to move toward and hope for. That vision, that possibility, that hope, matters. This appeals to my inner optimist.

Imagine: Laws and Practices

Ernest Holmes wrote that there’s a power in the universe greater than we are, and that we can use it. That spiritual law always responds in the affirmative, and not selectively, nor only when circumstances cooperate. To anchor that, Rev. Pam reminded us that we must have a responsive and positive faith, and that principle is not bound by precedent.

What does that mean? The universe always says yes, no matter what we put out there, and that just because things are a certain way, or have been a certain way, doesn't mean that’s how they’re always going to be. These are key to our philosophy. They aren't pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking; they're part of Science of Mind operating premise - our promise, if you will. Remembering these can be a lifeline.

One of the many blessings we can each count is the framework we have that, sadly, too many don't have. We know that consciousness participates in shaping reality, and that what we hold in mind matters, not just for our own lives, but collectively. We are not passive observers of whatever is unfolding out there.

We are participants. Creators.

Which is why, if our what if question only asks us to plan and prepare for the worst, it's time to shift our thinking.

We get to deliberately choose. And while we don't control the outer world, how we react to it has an impact on the "field." That's not spiritual bypass. We don't pretend everything is fine. But our choices shape how we show up, and that energy is powerful.

Reconnecting with that is part of what a spiritual practice is actually for. Rev. Pam shared a recent meditation practice where her question changed from what’s mine to do, to what’s mine to see? What’s mine to be?

Those are great questions. They get to the heart of who we are and what matters.

In the early 20th century, Rev. Pam reminded us, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves... live the questions now."

Live in the question, rather than demand an answer. That can be a challenge, especially when the pace of life feels more urgent. But it's also where the real creative space lives — in that pause in between. As Rev. Pam noted, between what is and what wants to emerge.

Rev. Pam asked us to try seeing beyond appearances and using imagination to create a mental equivalent of the world we want. Picture it, feel it, embody it, and let it shape what we do next. That’s how we engage with this philosophy and with the world at large.

Lastly, she reminded us, humanity always finds its way through. It has always shown resilience, always evolved, always found a way to heal and love. That's not being naive; it's history.

So, What if? How are you showing up?

Stay curious. And keep asking.

With gratitude,

Laura