Have you heard of aphantasia? I learned about it from a TikTok video a few years ago. I was blown away to learn that some people can conjure an image in their mind with such clarity that it looks like a high-def TV. What happens when you close your eyes and try to picture an apple? Try it… no really I mean try it RIGHT NOW! Do you see an apple? Is it red or green? Do you see grey and black swirls? When I close my eyes and try to picture an apple, my grandmother’s face, my childhood home, or my favorite lake I don’t “see” anything. That’s called aphantasia. About 3% of the population has aphantasia. Which is probably why I hadn’t heard about it until recently. Once I learned about this condition I wouldn’t stop asking people around me about it: my coworkers, my family, my friends, and cashiers at the grocery store. I was curious if I was alone in this new-found knowledge or if everyone knew about aphantasia besides me.

When was the last time you really truly got curious about something? When was the last time you said, woah I’ve never heard about that before? Sometimes, as we grow older, it is difficult to remember how to be curious. Many of us have walked through the Lent and Easter story our whole lives from infancy to adulthood. We know the scriptures and we know the journey of Jesus to the Cross. Or at least we think we do.

As you prepare for Lent and even Easter this year, I challenge you to get curious about the stories. What do you see? What do you hear? What is new to you? What is Jesus doing? Who is he talking with? And then share about it—to your family, friends, maybe even those chatty Trader Joe’s cashiers. Take time to be curious—it’s really fun!

Peace,
Colleen Maki
Coordinator of Media