(Im)Possible

One of my friends has the above graphic design as his WhatsApp pfp (profile picture).

Most of the time, unless an artist comes forward to define what their art really stands for, interpretation of art is usually subjective. The most obvious interpretation to this graphic work might be that impossibility is just a mindset: all you have to do is cancel the “im” in your mind and enter a world of possibilities.

Indeed this was my first thought. A few other interpretations also came to mind, but there’s one that made me produce an audible “hmm”. “Im” could be a contracted form of I am (as in, I’m). Could it be that the impossible becomes possible when “I am” is taken out of the picture?

At the risk of sounding vain (LoL), I thought this was a rather profound interpretation of that design, at that time. And the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. There’s no one who’s achieved something they (or others) thought was impossible without them effacing some part of themselves, and replacing it with a vision, an idea, or a power greater than themselves.

“But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

(1 Peter 1:15-16, AMPC)

Consider this verse.

The standard of holiness is God, who happens to be the quintessence of holiness. For a heavily flawed human, living in a world with many pressures, this sounds like quite the impossible task. Yet, that’s the immutable standard.

“I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

(Galatians 2:20, AMPC)

Here’s Apostle Paul giving us inside info on how we might approach that standard: by living life, not dictated by knee-jerk reactions of the human nature, but by adherence to, reliance on and complete trust in God.

In other words, an effacement of what previously defined you, and an everyday adoption of a new identity and way of life.

So my “profound thoughts” weren’t exactly a new thing “under the sun”. But still, I’m grateful for the reminder.