Imagine – as John Lennon

I can’t imagine anyone not having heard Lennon’s “Imagine” and giving thought to the meaning of his words. I have, though I don’t buy into them all. A friend reposted them sometime back, reminding me why I find the song useless.

Oh, lot’s of people will tell you “It’s about world peace. It’s what we should be striving for!” I’ve been told the words are where Lennon wanted mankind to go – to live up to what we could imagine, our dreams of the future. Yet, he was not willing to live up to his words, either. While singing, “Imagine no possessions,” his grew. While singing, “Imagine there’s no countries,” he tried to find solitude and safety behind walls he owned – to discover safety did not exist.

I strongly regret his inclusion, “Imagine there’s no heaven .. No religion too,” as though these were bad things. It is true that people have executed atrocities in the name of religion, and I can imagine how better things could be if that were not done – but I cannot imagine existence without God.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

We find it first in Job:

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? (Job 7:17-18 KJV)

And again in the words of David:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: (Psalms 8:3-6 KJV)

Would mankind be perfect without religion? It has never happened in the past, why would we expect it to be so in the future? Are men naturally benevolent when they perceive no boundaries? What would have to be imposed on other men to achieve Lennon’s perceived perfection?

Unfortunately, that temptation of imposing “what’s best for you” exists not only in men but too often in their perception of religion. The first that comes to mind is a church which attempts to impose their views by hate filled picket signs. I cannot imagine they relate this one verse:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Just as unfortunately, many pick that one verse and speak of all paths leading to God, ignoring the preceding verse:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15 KJV)

Unlike Lennon, I cannot imagine mankind living in peaceful harmony with all others without a companionship with God, understanding with Micah that:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8 KJV)

Perhaps then we can look back on Memorial Day as a distant memory and not repeat mankind’s errors.