SPIRITUAL IMITATION
Just as we imitate in life, we imitate in our Christian lives. Spiritual imitation is the first part of understanding how Jesus wants us to live. Imitation has been used in the church since its inception, and Christians actually learn how to live life as they pass on their faith through imitation.
When Jesus called his disciples, he said, "Come and follow me"--in other words, "Come and watch what I do and then go out and do the same." Come imitate me. Come do the exact things I do, and I'll show you the meaning of my life.
It's so cool that the God of the universe had a mission to take 12 men and duplicate divine power and love right here on the earth. God was so intentional about transferring it to them that God actually came and lived with them. Isn't that amazing? God came to live with humans and imitate human life, the very life God created, so we could know the right way to live.
Jesus wants you to imitate the things he did while he was here on the planet so the world can know God's love. He isn't interested in waving a magic wand and instantly turning you into a finished work of art. No, he wants you to simply "come and follow"--and he will help you figure out this "Christian life." This imitation is a journey with God, not an immediate arrival to a known destination.
BELIEVING
Once you begin to master the craft of imitating nuances, the next step in method acting is to actually start to believe who you are.
I once had a director for a play called The Voice of the Prairie. It was a wholesome, down-home show about the invention of the radio in the early 1900s. The play chronicles the use of radio and the link between the radio and the ease of communication today and then ultimately showed how the television would change communication in another generation.
I was cast as the protagonist, and through the course of imitating a young Midwestern man, I actually began to believe I was that man when I was onstage. No longer content with just "play acting," I was intentionally beginning to believe I was that person for that time so the audience would believe in my performance. I figured if they believed my character, then the story could be told. If I tried to "act" like someone else, I was confident the audience would have smelled the fakery a mile away. It was my first big shot in front of a mainstage crowd.
I believed so the story would hold weight.
I believed so the audience would believe.
Believing is different from imitating. Once you believe, your whole mindset changes. The "you" fades behind the ambiance you create, because to believe is to convince. If an actor is successful at convincing herself that she is who she's playing, then her choices to talk a certain way, move a certain way, or even create certain facial expressions become second nature. The simplest details invade the core of who you are and transform you into the person you will be.
It's a law of human behavior. Once people begin to buy into an idea of who they are, their actions begin to reflect those beliefs. Belief is the beginning of action, and your actions begin to develop the character you present to the world. It's an important piece of your personality, and it calls you to take seriously the question, "What do you believe?"
Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:44-46, ESV).
If you're going to buy into Christianity, it's essential that you understand the importance of belief. This belief isn't played out on stage--it's real life. Serious stuff. Jesus' light here on earth chases away darkness--because of belief.
Belief heals blindness.
Belief casts out demons.
Belief is the cornerstone of everything we are.
Without belief, it's impossible to live a life worthy of Christ's calling.
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2. SURF REPORT
3. FORGETTABLE FACT
One quarter of the human brain is used to control the eyes.
4. POTENT QUOTABLES
"As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you."
~ Fran Lebowitz
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
~ T. S. Elliot
5. UH, THAT'S FUNNY?
If you leave alphabet soup on the stove and go out, it could spell disaster.
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