I feel like I need to press "pause" on the "There Are Save Two Churches Only" series and write up a post on imagery. The topic of imagery might seem unrelated, and, in a way, I'm certainly treating it as such by writing a break-out post like this, but, actually, it is related, and I hope this post serves as a stepping stone to ideas that I intend to write about in the third installment of the "Two Churches" series.
In a world where information is increasingly presented in audio and visual formats, a love of reading seems to be on the decline. This is extremely unfortunate for many reasons and has major implications across many subjects and fields of study. The study of scripture and other things of a "spiritual" nature is not exempt.
In literature, writers use imagery to elicit scenes, ideas, and concepts in the minds of those who read what they write. Imagery can be both literal and figurative, and one encounters both in scripture. Literary imagery employs the mind in a way that audio and visual formats do not.
Figurative language, specifically, is extremely helpful when attempting to communicate about things of the spirit, and that's because we are typically much more familiar with things in the physical world than we are with things in the spiritual world. We relate to them better, and our familiarity with things in the physical world enables us to make comparisons with, see relationships between, and draw conclusions about things in the spirit world. This is why Jesus taught in parables and why analogies and symbols are plentiful in scripture. As we come across figurative language, our minds use what we know about things in the physical world to become capable of encountering thoughts that transcend the words that describe the physical things themselves, and it is through these thoughts that we begin to relate to, and engage with, the spirit world.
Figurative language should get us thinking. We should pay attention to the images that come to our minds when we read it, and we should ask ourselves what more there is to learn from an author's use of it.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. (Deuteronomy 10:16)
This scripture is one of my favorites. It’s imagery hit me like a ton of bricks one day, and I wrote a blogpost about circumcision a while back. Scriptures like this one are just begging for questions. Hearts don’t have foreskins, so what is this scripture talking about? How can you circumcise something that doesn’t exist? What is it about circumcision that still makes it an apt comparison? What is really meant to be removed from our hearts? How can a circumcision of the “foreskin of your heart” help you “be no more stiffnecked?”
Here’s another one:
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6)
Why does Jesus only talk about one eye and not two? What kind of light is “the light of the body?” What kind of light is he talking about? Is it physical light? How can an eye be single? How can our whole body be full of light when light enters an eye? How can an eye be evil? How can light be darkness?
And here’s one more:
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6)
There’s a lot to chew on in that quote. Formulating questions about each part of the armor of God (breastplate, shield, helmet, etc.) should yield greater understanding about its spiritual counterpart (righteousness, faith, salvation, etc.). What is it about the Spirit (or the word of God) that makes it a sword? What is it about righteousness that makes it a breastplate? And so on. What does each part of the armor do? What does it protect and what is significant about those parts of the body? How is each part of the armor specifically suited to protect each body part? What do you do with each piece of armor? How is it used? How does its use differ from other parts of the armor? How do the spiritual counterparts relate? From what are we protected?
Imagery like this is used all over scripture, and it is intended to prepare our minds to understand and receive the things of the spirit. It is meant to help us comprehend God, who is in and through all things, and it is meant to help us incorporate the Spirit of God into ourselves so that we may become one with him.