January 17, 2026
Last night I caused my wife “to suffer” through a couple of hours of science fiction programming. Earlier this week, Paramount premiered a new series called “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” If you have a smidgen of nerd in ya, this show just might be for you.
My wife and kids know me well; I love all things science fiction, (well almost all things), especially fantastical futuristic type shows (and movies), where the premise and location takes-place in outer space. Knowing my inner geek all too well, my daughter bought me a print for Christmas featuring an epic battle between the evil empire of Star Wars vs. the crews from Star Trek. That fantastic print proudly resides in my office, where I can be reminded of the creativity from the writers of all these scripts.
I love the notion that our Lord and God has gifted us all differently. Some people are gifted with the intellect and drive to become scientists who make world-changing discoveries. Some are gifted to teach; some with numbers and logical concepts; and others with artistic abilities. And of course, there are so many other areas of expression that our God has gifted humanity with that benefit our planet and add to the flavor our world. Among these are those who are the far-out dreamers, the fantastical futurists who think of things that the common person might deem unobtainable or just too “out there” to conceive. Enter the science fiction writer.
Consider people like George Lukas and Gene Roddenberry, or even before them writers like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Thomas More, Margaret Cavendish, Cyrano de Bergerac who’s lunar travel stories included novel technological concepts like early ideas for jet propulsion. (Thanks to Google Gemini for filling in the facts). The point is, throughout time, God has gifted humanity with fantastical futurists, men and women, who’ve dreamt of crazy things that are now our reality.
Consider your smart phones, computers and tablets – ideas developed in the scripts and sets of shows like Star Trek. Sure, some 190 IQ brainiac types had to take those concepts and develop the science behind them to make them a reality. Still, the idea of those fantastical things began in the imagination of the futurists God planted on this earth.
I thank God for the dreamers and futurists who think of such fantastical things that most our imaginations cannot conceive. And why do they conceive them, perhaps it’s because God is the one who first gave them their dreams? For them, I thank our Lord, not only for their dreams, but for helping us all dream and think… “What if?”