30 Days of Seeing

Day 26

“…. a failure of imagination.” Cate Blanchett

Today, on my way to have lunch with a friend, I tuned in to the Diane Rehm Show on NPR. She often has intriguing guests and today was no exception. Diane interviewed actor Cate Blanchett who is currently starring in the play, A Street Car Called Desire, at the Kennedy Center.

Cate not only is an extraordinary actor (second only to Meryl Streep, in my humble opinion), she has also become an activist in raising concern over climate change and the need to develop alternative forms of energy. Diane asked how and why she became involved with this issue, especially in light of living such a busy and successful life. Cate responded by saying that as much as she loves acting, it becomes “irrelevant” very quickly. She explained that her involvement with this very pressing environmental issue helps her stay grounded.

She spoke about the impact of climate change, particularly in her native country of Australia, where residents no longer have to wonder if there really is such a thing. In a moment of chastisement, Blanchett suggested that the situation we are in is obviously a failure of leadership, but also a failure of imagination.

A failure of imagination, Cate explained, is the mistake of not seeing into the future and projecting where we will be if we continue to rely on oil as our main source of energy. A failure of imagination is also the absence of forward thinking and the development of viable alternatives for energy.

Imagination is a form of “seeing,” and so today, I want to write about what it means to experience a “failure of imagination” related to our own lives. When we use our imagination, we are dreaming into the future and that helps us set our direction.

To avoid a failure of imagination, we must ask ourselves some pointed questions. Here are a few to ponder:

• “If I continue on the same spiritual trajectory I am on today, will I end up where I want to be?”
• “Am I relying too heavily or exclusively on one spiritual resource (like my pastor’s sermons, involvement in church or a certain Bible Study) in order to sustain me?”
• “What additional resources do I need to develop in order to nurture my spiritual life for the long haul?”