Perspective: "Imagine"

I share these thoughts, hoping they are of help to someone else.

"Imagine"
(The Gospel According to John Lennon)

Scripture:

There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 (CEB)

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

From "Imagine" by John Lennon

"Imagine" is probably the most famous song by the late singer-songwriter and social activist John Lennon. In this song, Lennon asks his listeners to imagine a world where people put aside all the things that separate us from each other and live together as one. Though "Imagine" is beloved by many as an anthem of peace and unity, this song has sparked a great deal of controversy over the years. Many people have denounced the song as unpatriotic, anti-religious, and pro-communist.¹

Some Christians especially dislike the song "Imagine" because they view the lyrics - particularly those asking us to imagine no heaven, no hell, and no religion - as anti-Christian. It is well known that John Lennon was not a very big fan of Christianity or of religion in general, but I believe that his dream for the world was not too different from the teachings of Jesus Christ. If we dissect the lyrics of this song verse by verse and examine its themes in light of Scripture, I think that we will see that "Imagine" actually has a very Christian message.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

It is within the first few lines of the song that many Christians begin seeing problems. After all, two of the major teachings of the Christian faith are the consequences of sin (hell) and hope for eternity (heaven). To hear some Christians talk, though, one would think that all that there is to their faith is going to heaven when they die and, more importantly, not going to hell. A former pastor of my church used to speak of people who are "so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good." There is much more to the Christian faith than the afterlife.

Let's consider this logically. The reality of heaven and hell does not depend on anyone's beliefs. Heaven and hell either exist or do not exist regardless of what people believe: if they truly exist, they cannot be imagined away. That's not really the point though. It's helpful to realize that each verse of this song has an overarching theme. Notice that after John Lennon asks us to imagine no heaven and no hell, he asks us to "imagine all the people living for today." I believe that this verse is not so much a rejection of the belief of heaven and hell, but a call to live for the moment, not for the afterlife.

Like Lennon, Christ also teaches us to live in the moment. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."² He also taught us to pray that God's will is done here on earth as in heaven and to pray for the necessities of the day.³ These two requests are not for the future, but for the present day.

When Christ was asked what was the most important commandment, He gave two answers: to love God and to love each other.⁴ Later on, He taught that when we show love to other people, we actually show love to Him.⁵ I think that Christ would agree that the most important part of following Him is not a happier outlook on the afterlife but the love our faith creates in us. Love and kindness happen in the here and now, not just in the hereafter. As a friend of mine once said, one should not preach to someone who has an empty stomach.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

In the second verse, John Lennon asks us to imagine a world where people live together peacefully, a world where there is no reason for conflict. Many people focus on the parts about no countries and no religion, causing them to criticize the song for being both unpatriotic and anti-religious. Again, realize that this verse has an overarching theme: peace. Pride in one's nation and devotion to one's religion are not bad qualities, but many wrongly use them to commit horrific acts of violence. Lennon is simply asking us to imagine a world in which there is nothing to put people in conflict with each other.

Patriotism becomes a bad thing when love for one's nation overshadows love for one's neighbors, even one's neighbors in other countries. In Nazi Germany, for example, Adolf Hitler used nationalism to support the slaughter of millions. Corrupt governments and self-serving political leaders often use their power to act in ways that are harmful to people in other lands. This breeds distrust and hatred between nations. In the worst cases, war breaks out, and people are killed.

Regarding religion, I find it necessary to mention that religion is largely a human construct. God has given humanity revelations about His nature and about living in harmony with other people, but we, as humans, have a consistent track record of messing up whatever we touch. Our tendency is to obscure what God has given us, with soulless legalism. What's worse is that we build up barriers that separate us from people who believe differently or who live out their faith differently. This us-verses-them mentality breeds malice toward people of different religions. Some have even killed for religious reasons. As a Christian, I must be honest and admit that Christianity is not innocent in this matter.

Such hatred is not at all what God desires for humanity. God wants all people to love each other and to live with each other in peace. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught, "You have heard that it was said, You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you because of your faith so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven."⁶ Christ came to earth, not to create barriers between people, but to break down the barriers that divide us from each other.

Jesus said, "Follow Me," not, "Follow My religion." There are many Christians who now say things like, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion," emphasizing a personal relationship with Christ over religious rules or dogma. St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, wrote, "There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."⁷ When we decide to follow Christ and seek to live like Him, none of the labels we place on ourselves matter anymore. When we dedicate our lives to Christ, all other allegiances, including those to one's country, one's political party, and even one's religion, are secondary.

Christ himself was a victim of the sins of organized religion. He taught contrary to what the religious elite of the time were teaching, and He was executed on a cross for it. As He hung on the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing."⁸ In this horrible act of injustice, Christ paid the penalty for all of humanity's wrongdoings.⁹ In doing so, Christ taught us, as Shane Claiborne puts it, "there is something worth dying for but nothing worth killing for."¹⁰ If people would put away their hatred, there would be no reason to kill for anything and no reason to die for anything.

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Most of the things that John Lennon asks us to "imagine away" are not bad things, but they all become problematic when they become priority one in a person's life. The same is true with personal possessions. It is not wrong to own things, but we live in a world where the greed of a few results in the poverty of many. In the third verse, Lennon asks us to imagine a world where nobody claims ownership of anything but where all people share so that everyone has enough.

Jesus Christ, in His ministry on Earth, also downplayed the ownership of temporal, earthly possessions. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, "Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."¹¹ Christ is not advocating some sort of otherworldly materialism; instead He is asking us value the things that God values, things that last for eternity.

It is important to make sure that the things that we own don't own us. A rich man once asked Christ how to get eternal life. Christ replied, "Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me." This man did not follow Jesus because he cared more about his earthly wealth than about spiritual things.¹²

Christ's exhortation to the rich man reminds us that God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to other people. Christ once told a parable in which God rebukes a successful farmer for hoarding his harvest instead of sharing it with others.¹³ John the Baptist, a relative and contemporary of Christ, taught his audience, "Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same."¹⁴ Living for earthly riches only benefits a few, but seeking eternal riches benefits us and the people around us.

For this verse, Lennon was criticized for being pro-communist, but the truth is that this verse reflects what Christ taught us. The Bible notes that the early Christians lived in the way that both Christ and Lennon envisioned: "All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity."¹⁵

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Christ came into the world to show us what God is like, to teach us how to live with each other in peace, and to free us from our sins. Christ also came into the world to usher in the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom where God reigns and where evil is defeated, a Kingdom of "righteousness, peace, and joy."¹⁶ This Kingdom has yet to be fully realized on earth, but it can be found in the hearts of all who truly seek to follow Christ and reflect His love to the world.

Someday, Christ will come back to earth, and the world will be restored to what God intended it to be from the very beginning. In this restored world, God Himself will reign among humanity. There will be no sun or moon, because God will be light for all. People will have no need for churches or temples, because God will live among them. People will find healing, and they will never be hungry or thirsty again. There will be no sadness, no pain, no death, and no evil.¹⁷

"And the world will live as one."


Notes:
1 - Jon Wiener. "'Imagine' - a lasting hymn to controversy." Los Angeles Times, December 7, 2010.
2 - Matthew 6:34 (CEB)
3 - Matthew 6:10-11
4 - Matthew 22:38-40
5 - Matthew 25:40
6 - Matthew 5:43-45 (CEB)
7 - Galatians 3:28 (CEB)
8 - Luke 23:34 (CEB)
9 - Romans 5:8-9 (CEB)
10 - Shane Claiborne. The Irresistible Revolution. 2006, Zondervan. p. 207
11 - Matthew 6:19-21 (CEB)
12 - Mark 10:17-22 (CEB quoted)
13 - Luke 12:13-21
14 - Luke 3:11 (CEB)
15 - Acts 2:44-46 (CEB)
16 - Romans 14:17 (CEB)
17 - Revelation 21:1-22:5


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