On occasion, my children asked to read stories that, on the surface, seemed frightening or cruel. Of course, age-appropriate content is paramount. But there were times that I dismissed their curiosity simply because it was convenient. In these moments, I failed to appreciate the greatest opportunity a parent can have—the willingness of their child to express themselves, to ask questions and thoughtfully cultivate, with God’s help, their baptized imagination.

“What is possible in art becomes thinkable in life.”

This quote from British musician Brian Eno resonated with me. I think he’s right. What is possible in the imaginary realm becomes manifest in story, the most compelling medium in human expression. And I think C. S. Lewis would agree.

In a now famous account of his journey to Christ, Lewis described how a work of the imagination became manifest in his life, thus playing a pivotal role in his conversion.

One afternoon before boarding a train, he purchased a paperback copy of George MacDonald’s Phantastes, a novel about a young man navigating a mystical realm in which he encounters fantastical creatures, overcomes challenges, doubts and fears, and learns the power of selfless love, which is the essence of the heart of Jesus.

Lewis wrote, “Nothing was at that time further from my thoughts than Christianity . . . I was only aware that if this new world was strange, it was also homely and humble . . . that the whole book had about it a sort of cool, morning innocence, and also, quite unmistakably, a certain quality of Death, good Death.

What it actually did to me was to convert, even to baptize my imagination.”

A sweet sentiment, to be sure. But what exactly did Lewis mean when he said his imagination was baptized?

The Transformative Power of Imagination

Consider the human imagination. By it, we envision and create all manner of societal and cultural advances (and regresses). Via the imagination, we suspend disbelief and enter alternate realities filled with adventure, brilliance, compassion, and hope.

Like every human attribute, we have the option to use our imaginations for good or ill. Thus, the need for our imaginations to be baptized, as Lewis would say—the need to harness our speculative skill sets as a means to advance the good, the true, and the beautiful, all to facilitate creative pathways for the gospel to be seen and understood.

Nowhere is this more vital than in the minds and hearts of our children. Naturally inclined to use their imaginations, children engage in make-believe for hours on end. They see enchantment everywhere and they often daydream as if their imaginings were utterly real.

Read More