Imagine

I imagine we all imagine.  And we do it all the time.  We find ourselves thinking, dreaming, hoping for a variety of things.  It is probably a bit more fanciful as kids than as adults but we don't even fully stop imagining.  And yet, our imagination doesn't always become reality.  It is probably why it becomes rather tame and tempered over time, because of the many disappointments.  That's probably not all bad. 

John Lennon knew how to imagine.  His famous song showed a rather fanciful imagination.  Look again at these words:

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...

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..

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...

You may say 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

Ultimately his imagination led him to believe we could all humanity could live as one, with a peace, brotherhood, and with selflessness one for another.  All for one, and one for all.  That seems quite amicable.   I don't think John Lennon was (nor is) alone in his quest for this imagined world.  I might argue that so many in ages past longed for this, though on some different terms, even terms that Lennon did not embrace (world powers, empires).  

Too, the same imagination is rather prevalent in our day as well.   You don't have to look far to find it.  People everywhere wanting unity.  People everywhere wanting peace.  People everywhere wanting to love and be loved.  The buzz word for years was "tolerance" may have been replaced by "love wins", both of which aim and long for every bit of what Lennon was describing in his anthem. 

On the surface it appears not only ideal and good for all, but even quite possible.  On the surface anyway.  But clearly something disables this from happening.  So what restricts this?  According to so many people, what keeps mankind from this is "intolerance." The intolerant minds that don't embrace this progressive vision keep us from realizing this imagined dream.  And probably at the top of that list is one group: Christians.  

This is ironic.  I'd argue that it isn't ultimately Christians who get in the way of this vision of universal peace, brotherhood, and love.  Lennon and those like him don't recognize how impossible the overall aim of this is, because there is no such thing as peace, brotherhood, and love without a standard and one to give it.   Christians everywhere don't disagree that peace, brotherhood and love are desirable and should be pursued, but they also know Jesus Christ is the only adequate standard and enabler of such. 

What else is ironic about all this is that it is actually ONLY CHRISTIANS who are capable of attaining such peace, brotherhood, and love, like what Lennon desires, but at a level well beyond what even he could conceive.  And not only in eternity for Christians will be this be realized, but in fact now, in this life Christians are called to such. 

Paul's words from Romans 12 sum up every bit what we should be like as Christians.  Here Paul tells us that our love for one another needs to be genuine. (12:9).  He tells us that we should have "brotherly affection" for one another.  He tells us that we should contribute to the needs of one another.  Further, he tells us that we should ever live in harmony with one another.   In other words, Paul paints a picture, not of his own imagination that it would be nice if all this were to happen, but one of what Christians should be all about.  

I'd argue that all of the matters Paul lays out here are not optional for Christ's followers, but are mandated.  And I believe they are not just to be expressed as we stumble across Christians in other places, though neither are we to neglect such opportunities.  But the manner in which all this is to be applied is in the local church.  Our ability to love one another in the local church provides every bit the peace, brotherhood, unity that Lennon and others desire.  

Our world is watching.  Let us learn in the local church especially to show them all they could ever imagine.  Our ability to do so will help display Christ, even to the end that they may hear the gospel and believe.