Dreaming dreams - something we celebrate in humanity

By Shannon Bullion CONTRIBUTOR

Perhaps we can agree that dreaming dreams is something we can celebrate in humanity. Perhaps we can even say that it is one thing that may separate us from the animals – though animals may literally dream in a certain way. And yet, can animals dream dreams and bring them to life?

I have always been in love with dreamers and dreams. I even have the wall art from Willy Wonka’s famous quote that is written on recycled wood with a burned script that states: we are the makers of music and the dreamers of dreams. While I don’t make music, I am from Nashville originally and prefer that it pour out of every open door. What is just as good though is a beautiful dream to dream.

There is a homeless mission in Columbia, South Carolina that was founded on the dream of a single woman and a group of church women who could dream with her. One of her favorite things to say is “dream a big enough dream that unless God is behind it, it will fail.” In other words, dream a dream that requires your faith and your faithful endurance.

I often wonder what my big enough dream is. Sometimes I tell God that if I could just live out the Greatest Commandment that would be enough for me. That,

“Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Or, if I could just manage to live out the Golden Rule by doing unto others what I would want for myself.

As much as I too want the homeless to have homes and the hungry to be fed, and for all of Matthew 25:35-36 to be fulfilled, I also want everyone to be loved. That seems to be my dream.

I recall when I was a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School that a professor asked us if we thought loving others was hard. I raised the argument that it is entirely hard. I was a minority vote. Everyone else seemed to go against me and wonder how I could find it hard. After all, we were at Divinity School. Shouldn’t we already know how to love everyone?

I told my professor that I thought it was hard because loving people in the way that they need to be loved is often absent from our privy knowledge. I can only love them in the way I think they will receive love, but I may just be loving them within my own limited understanding. And that may not be love to them at all.

Luckily, for me, I won the argument on love. My professor agreed with me that it is hard to love people. But, oh, the irony! This is why I will yet dream to love the way God wishes for us to love. That will be my biggest dream.