by Rev Jude Saxon
One of the unexpected gifts of furthering my learning through academic study was being reminded that Christian growth is about more than simply gathering information. It also includes imagination and reflection in our Christian life
C.S. Lewis notices that while our minds are good at analysing ideas, real life is always experienced in a particular moment. This joy, this grief, this friendship, this moment. He suggested that stories and metaphors help us to bridge the gap between abstract truth and lived reality, allowing us to encounter truths that cannot easily be reduced to definitions.[1] Christianity itself, Lewis argued, is not merely a set of ideas to understand but a story into which we are invited.[2]
This has forced me to think differently about reflection. We live in a world filled with podcasts, books, sermons, and social media, where it is possible to consume a great deal of Christian content without ever slowing down long enough to let it shape us. Reflection helps to create the space where learning becomes formation.
Theology, art, music, poetry, and even the landscapes around us can help us see God in our world. Through my study, I encountered theologians who argue that art retrains our understanding, helping us notice dimensions of reality we might otherwise overlook. Rather than simply explaining truth, beauty and reflection often invites us to experience it.[3]
The challenge then is that we need both thoughtful minds and attentive hearts. Knowledge is important, but spiritual maturity also grows by reflection, imagination, and experiencing wonder. Sometimes a painting, a piece of music, or a well-told story can awaken us to God's presence in ways that a theological definition alone cannot.
One of the lessons I am taking from my studies is that following Jesus is not only about learning more. It is about allowing reflection, imagination, story, and beauty to deepen our awareness of God's presence, so that we can recognise his activity in the world and faithfully participate in his Kingdom work.
[1] C. S. Lewis, “Myth Became Fact,” in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, ed. Walter Hooper (William B. Eerdmans, 1970), 65.
[2] Lewis, “Myth Became Fact,” 66–67.
[3] Murray Rae, Architecture and Theology: The Art of Place (Baylor University Press, 2017), 13.