Many years ago on Saturday morning, there was a radio program called "Let's Pretend." While it ran from 1891 to 1953 and was sponsored by Cream of Wheat, I listened during the 1940s. I don't remember much about the actual programs, but the idea was to listen and use your imagination. I can still hear the theme music in my head and appreciate even more the importance of an imagination.
When asked to create a program for the women of my church, I harkened back to "Let's Pretend" and came up with ... "Come to my house." It required them to use their imagination.
To set the stage, they needed to imagine they have invited company to come visit us for the weekend. How do they get ready? What do they do to prepare for weekend guests? Probably they vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms and kitchen, set out towels, maybe get some fresh flowers, pick up stuff that is lying around and try to make it as lovely as it can be. They think about who they might invite to visit while they are here -- hopefully, friends who share an interest with those who are coming. Perhaps they like to play card games, go out for dinner, work on puzzles, or they might be people your guests already know. When the company comes, we want them to feel welcome. They come in through the front door. Probably, most of us drive and, when we arrive at our house, we come in through the garage. However, think about your front door. What do visitors see when they visit you?
Now, here is the catch. Tonight we are going to pretend that our weekend visitor is Jesus, the real one. Can you think of a word or words that describe how you would feel when you discover that Jesus will be your weekend visitor? For me, it would be intimidating! What would you do differently for Jesus than other weekend guests? Would you put a Bible in a conspicuous place, or is it already on your coffee table. What about other religious books you have read or have questions about? Do you have any other religious knick-knacks and, if so, would you move them to a more prominent place?
If Jesus was really going to be your weekend guest, who would you invite to share His time while He was here? Would you want the family to have the opportunity to meet the real Jesus? How far would they have to come and who would pay for the cost of their trip(s)? Which of your friends would you include? The pastors from your church, church leaders, neighbors, friends from your church? What about others, those from other congregations who are good friends? How many would you include and, of those, who would come and who would think you had lost your mind? Would anyone believe that Jesus was really here, in Bella Vista, and at your house?
Would you change your meal plan and, if so, how? Where would you eat, remembering that Jesus reclined and ate with His fingers? What would you serve Him? Would you include wine as part of the meal? It was part of the meal when He lived.
What kind of questions would you ask Him? Are heaven's street really paved with gold? When you go to heaven, is there more than just the warm light and good feeling referred to in books? What form do people take and how does it differ from what we know now? Can people communicate with others in heaven and, if so, how do they do it? Will we recognize others and will they know who we are? Am I on the right road to heaven and what do I need to do to be more favorable with God?
Since this is make-believe and you can imagine almost anything, just like we did with "Let's Pretend," here is one final thought: We say that Jesus is the son of God, the messenger who brought God's word to us; and since He took a human form, we can visualize Him. We can pretend to have Jesus come for a weekend visit, but can we imagine having God do that? It helps to be able to see something to imagine it.
For me, God doesn't have a definite form, even though I know He exists, I can't imagine it. And yet, we say God lives in our hearts and is everywhere we are. We talk to Him and pray to Him. I can't imagine having Him visit me for the weekend, but I think it is because He is already here.
It would be fun to take some time and think about having Jesus in your home and what you would do to accommodate His visit. Ask a friend how they might handle such an event and share your ideas.
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Jan Burgess moved to Bella Vista in 1995. She considers each day a gift -- although some are more fun to open than others. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Religion on 11/08/2017