Imagine...

I hesitate writing this post because I don't want to ruin a song for you. One time I noticed a blooper in a movie and pointed it out to someone. From then on, they couldn't watch that part without noticing it. I feel kind of bad about that, so I'm warning you ahead of time about this song. :) I have always loved the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. But today as I listened to it on the radio, the full effect of the lyrics hit me and took away my love for the song. Let me just review the lyrics with you. As you read these, think about the current trend of attitutdes toward religion in the world.

He begins by saying, "Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky." Isn't this what the world wants us to believe? They want us to believe there is no hell, there is no heaven. If there is no heaven or hell, then our actions in this life really don't matter, do they?

So John goes on, "Imagine all the people living for today." That view of life would make sense if there were no heaven or hell. Just live for today, and don't worry about the eternal consequences. He would have us believe that we shouldn't worry about obeying any commandments.

Next verse:
"Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too." So, basically he is imagining a one world order. While I applaud his wish for a world where there is no war, I'm not sure I go for the idea of a one world order either. And in his mind, religion is the cause of all war. I can't tell you how many times I have heard my neighbor tell me this. According to John, it's all those evil religions that are the cause of every war. He believed if we could just eliminate religion, we would have peace. I will admit that some war is caused by religion, but many are waged because of political motives. I don't think it was Hitler's religion that spurred them to want to take over the world.

John goes on: "Imagine all the people living life in peace." I don't believe that eliminating all religion and government would bring about peace. We do need laws to keep people from harming each other. My neighbor disagrees with this, but eliminating religion, in my opinion eliminates the vehicle by which we teach people how to be good people. Some people can do this without religion to a degree, but give it a few generations, and see how the "why" of living a good life disappears. And without regular Sabbath worship, people even begin to forget the "what" of how to live as a good person.

John says, "You may say I'm a dreamer. Well, I'm not the only one. I hope some day you join us. And the world will be as one." Now, I believe that Christ will return to the Earth some day and will reign personally upon the Earth, and that we will live in peace. But unless we have a very unselfish ruler such as the Savior, a one world order won't work.

He says, "Imagine no posessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world." I think the idyllic society he longed for was a noble longing. But what he didn't take in to account is that people have free will, and without an underlying motivation, they will not, by nature, choose to live equally. John Lennon's Utopia simply could not exist without God. His equation of "no religion + brotherhood of man" does not equal peace. That is an equation that simply can't happen. It is only through Jesus Christ that true peace can be attained.

John sang, "You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. I hope some day you join us. And the world will live as one." Yes John, I say you were a dreamer. While I too dream of living in a world without war, or hunger, or greed, or contention, I know that it can't happen without God in the equation. That would be more of a nightmare.