I love what-ifs. What-if’s drive my creative thinking and fuel my love for writing. They push me past the mundane “box” of my thinking and force me to consider things I wouldn’t, under normal circumstances.  What-if’s stretch my mind, test my faith, enlarge my imagination, and grow my understanding of God.

This morning, after my children left for school, a “what-if“ popped into my mind.

I’d been thinking about why I’m so drawn to  fantasy literature.

Some would say that my love stems from my young exposure to Star Trek.  It’s true.  I’m a Trekkie at heart and have fond memories of Captain Picard and his team exploring the galaxy.  However, I believe that my connection to both fantasy and science-fiction literature is much deeper in nature and more spiritual.

I believe that fantasy literature is a reflection of the greatest “fantastical” story of all time. I use the word fantastical not to represent make-belief, but to define a fantastic, mind-blowing, beyond our comprehension and understanding, type of story.  Authors in this genre use the written word to create amazing worlds of wonder, full of rich history and complex struggles. Their inhabitants wade through life, seeking salvation from the tyrants who terrorize and destroy their land. They often seek absolution from their own personal demons, striving for the magic elixir which will fix all their problems.  Most experience a death of some sort and a resurrection before they are able to return with their reward.

Sound familiar?

Let’s think on our own world’s “fantastical” story…

Before our world was formed, there existed an all-powerful, yet mysterious Deity. This God created a realm filled with angelic beings. The God’s closest and most beautiful angel betrayed him in the hopes of stealing his power.  The kingdom was thrown into chaos and divided.  A great war ensued.

The Great God created another kingdom, full of beings different from the angels, but pure at heart and untouched by sin. They lived an unblemished life…until the fallen angel interfered.  He lured the humans away from God, promising equality and power.

But, unbeknownst to the fallen angel, The Great God had anticipated their choice and devised a magnificent plan.

One that reflected back the exact opposite of what the fallen angel had promised.

• Christ, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped,
• but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
• For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
• so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:5-11)

Rejecting his power, the Great God became mortal.  He became utterly powerless when he was birthed a babe.  When the fallen angel realized this, he devised his own clever plan to kill him. But again, God’s plan was greater.

He allowed the fallen angel to think he was winning.  When death seemed to have won its victory and the land was literally enveloped in darkness, God revealed his clever twist.  Jesus did the impossible.  He fulfilled the law by living a perfect life and in so doing he bought us a new covenant with his life.  One based on love and relationship.

He won.

So where in all of this does my what-if emerge?

I often wonder what precipitated Lucifer’s fall.  What triggered his breaking point? If we could read his full story, would we find strands of God’s love working to keep him from falling into darkness?  Would we see evidence of God’s hand in the lives of his angels, striving to keep them from buying into the “great deception/rejection.” Is he as relentless in his pursuit of his angels as he is towards us?

What-if God uses humankind’s story of redemption to remind his angels of His very love-nature?  What-if our story contains a message designed to keep further angels from falling? What if our story acts as a living witness to God’s first creation?  If God anticipated mankind’s fall (before our fall) and devised a plan for our salvation, what’s to say he didn’t do the same to keep the angelic race from further disintegrating? What-if  our existence is part of a greater plan?

If God went to such extremes to restore our broken relationship with him, would he not exert the same force to keep further angels from falling?

What-if?

I marvel at the great love story God devised, and I appreciate again, his plan for my salvation and yours.

I cannot wait to hear how the story ends.