Today’s author is Naomi Sveholm. Naomi is a missionary with Central Europe Teachers (https://www.facebook.com/elcacet) teaching English at a bilingual Lutheran high school in Bratislava, Slovakia with her spouse and two children.
This summer’s sermons and devotions are all focused on the book of Revelation. The book is a vision put into writing and because of that, it includes strange and confusing imagery.
Dreams and visions are woven throughout the fabric of the Bible, often playing a significant role. Joseph’s dreams and interpretations led to his enslavement and then shepherding of Egyptians and Israelites through seven years of famine. Later Joseph’s dream saved young Jesus and his family from Herod’s persecution. Paul’s visions brought about a change of heart toward early Christians and Gentiles. There are many more examples, too, in both the Old and New Testaments.
As a child I read many Berenstain Bears books, including Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream. After Sister’s nightmare, Mama and Papa explain that dreams take “all the things you were thinking or were nervous about during the day and puts them together all jumbled up like a mixed-up jigsaw puzzle.”
Dreams and visions, similar to parables, take elements that are of concern at the time, those things people are thinking or are nervous about, and puts them together in a way that doesn’t always make sense. They are open to multiple interpretations, which can make them feel more relevant today than old-timey rules for desert-dwelling Israelites or stories that take place in societies ruled by kings. Problems occur, however, when we try to interpret them without the necessary context.
There are many resources available (including pastors!) to help us interpret the visions in Revelation, but we need to be very careful not to ignore the historical context and overlay the visions with an emphasis on today’s concerns. One way to help avoid this is to read scripture and interact regularly with others who do as well. This will often help an interpretation “ring true” when it is inspired by God.
The same goes for today’s visions and dreams. God is active today, still speaking to us in ways that include dreams, but also conversations, sermons, and thoughts. Listen for God. Think. And listen to yourself. God’s word is already on your heart.
Dear God,
Help us to listen.
Help us to remember that everything has a context.
Help us to feel what is true.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen