Greetings from the Editor
Dear Friends,
The authors in this combined issue of summer and fall remind us that it is a good time to dream. I draw this conclusion not because they declare that the contemporary era is ridden with causes of optimism but because their words plant in our hearts the testament of hope running from antiquity to modern centuries. Coming from different parts of the world and theological spectrums, these articles enable us to make friends with the practice of dreams and dreaming.
Occasionally, we witness a dream being disparaged for having a tenuous connection with reality. Our authors help us realize that the blemish of a dream lets light shine through. It is precisely because a dream is not fully commensurate with reality that it can open up the vista of a world that could have been, or even better, a world that could be made to come true. No matter how far-fetched it may appear, a dream is seldom totally estranged from the tangible world. Even when seemingly once or twice removed from reality, dreams chart the possibility of transformation—what might be dismissed as illusion is elevated to vision.
When a dream is conceived, it may be a mere kaleidoscopic array—or disarray—of images. With a bit of interpretive measures, however, a chaos becomes a spectacle that weaves a narrative that only a few could have imagined. Dream interpretation makes a wanderer into a worshipper as we are told in Genesis 28. In the aftermath of prideful dream interpretation, Joseph found himself in a pit (chap. 37); but his reputation as a dream interpreter lifted him from the prison to Pharaoh’s court (chaps. 37-41).
It is said that dream interpretation is often better than the dream itself. In many cultures, the skill of improving a dream by granting it a meaning is highly prized. Certain Byzantine dream interpreters even taught that an interpretation can improve a dream or can turn a nightmare into a sign of auspicious times.
We are aware that there were times when—and there are places where—only the prestigious people dream a dream worthy of lofty exegesis. By contrast, I have seen and heard modern preachers calling upon children and the people of the pew to cherish their dream, whether it is granted in the stillness of the night or whether it is claimed in the bold imagination of a world to come.
Let there be no shortage of dreams and visions for the people of God. These are the warp and woof of our hope. With a dream, we pursue happiness with gladness. Some English lexicographers posit that the word “dream” may have had an Old English cousin that refers to joy and jubilation. Dream and delight have always been in good company.
Peace,
Jin H. Han, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
