Theological Foundations for Human Flourishing: Imagination
The following is a summary of Dr. Chris Watkin’s sermon.
In a time when society feels increasingly disenchanted, distracted, and divided, one of the most urgent needs is not more information but deeper imagination. Many today—especially in emerging generations—struggle to envision a life beyond the immediate, the visible, and the pragmatic. Dr. Watkin’s message, drawn from the imagery-rich book of Revelation, challenges this flattening of reality. He argues that the crisis we face is not just cultural or intellectual, but profoundly spiritual: we have lost the capacity to imagine God's ultimate purposes and to live in light of them. The call is not to escape reality, but to see it rightly—to cultivate a biblically-formed imagination that orients us toward eternity and reshapes how we live today.
In this talk, Dr. Watkin invites listeners to rediscover the power and necessity of a redeemed imagination. Beginning with the observation that every aspect of our lives—from architecture to fashion to city planning—is shaped by imaginative vision, he reflects on how this distinctly human capacity is now under threat. Drawing on voices like Shoshana Zuboff, Jonathan Haidt, and Charles Taylor, he names the forces—technological, educational, and philosophical—that have dulled our ability to see beyond the immediate and material.
This crisis, Dr. Watkin contends, is not confined to the culture at large. It has crept into the church, where Scripture is often reduced to principles or propositions rather than embraced in its full poetic and narrative form. The Bible—especially Revelation—is designed not just to inform but to form us, to reawaken our ability to see beneath and beyond.
Through the vivid contrasts in Revelation between Babylon and the New Jerusalem, Dr. Watkin shows how the biblical imagination exposes false allegiances and invites us into a greater hope. Babylon is portrayed as seductive, powerful, and destructive—symbolizing the systems of power, wealth, and control that demand our worship. In contrast, the New Jerusalem is not built on domination, but on divine grace and eternal rest. It is the destiny of God’s people, and the future that gives meaning to the present.
The message concludes with a call to live as those who know the end of the story. The church is not just another gathering; it is the Bride of Christ. Worship is not routine; it is preparation for a wedding. And Christian life is not escapism—it is rooted in the truest reality. Dr. Watkin urges us to reclaim a biblically-formed imagination so we might see, feel, and live according to the world that is coming.