From the age of 10, I idolized John Lennon. He was so smart, so ahead of his times, so visionary, so articulate in defining our societal problems and their solutions, so confident, so sure of himself. If you weren’t there at the time — 60s-70s — you can’t imagine the influence he had on social, cultural, political, and religious life in the Western world, above and beyond that of The Beatles as a group.
Speaking of imaging, these lyrics summarize his beliefs:
“Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No Hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people livin’ for today
Ah, ah, ah-ah
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothin’ to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people livin’ life in peace
Yoo, hoo, oo-oo” (John Lennon, Imagine)
At the time (1971), this all seemed to me and so many others to be so obvious and wonderful. If only these evil politicians and clerics and members of the established order would get out of the way and let us be!
Today when I contemplate these lyrics, they sound like utter nonsense, utterly detached from the reality of the human condition. Humans are hardwired for religion. We are hardwired for social living, which necessitates political structures. If I imagine a world without religion or countries, I can envision a lot of things, none of which are peaceful.
Just a couple factoids I grabbed from the web to support what probably seems obvious:
- The first evidence of religion goes back to burial grounds discovered in the Middle East. That was 100,000 years ago.
- Evidence of civilization dates back at least 10,000 years.
Nevertheless, people were attracted to this philosophy — articulated so very well by Lennon — like bees to honey. Over time, Lennon continues to be a revered cultural personality, but his utopian vision has long faded away.
I have no doubt that Lennon was sincerely trying to help build a better world — although if you study his life you may conclude he was one of those people who loves humanity but humans, not so much. At any rate, his good intentions make me wonder if he was acting alone.
The damage done by Lennon and other spokespeople of the time wasn’t so much in their philosophy as it was in separating so many of us from our religious and cultural traditions. Once those cords were cut, we had nowhere to go. When Lennon’s utopia lost its appeal, we could return to our roots, which few did, or try to forge some new path on our own. We were cast adrift, with nothing to latch on to except our own instincts and interpretations.
That is just where Satan wants us: isolated, confused, looking in every direction except Up. Please don’t misunderstand. I do not think John Lennon was an evil person or possessed by the devil. But I do think that Satan can put great human talent to work for sinister purposes, even if the artist is unaware that he or she is being used in such a way. Satan is always on the lookout for talented instruments, and Lennon’s apparent atheism would have made him more vulnerable.
It is asserted that people of great intelligence, talent, power, and/or wealth have no need for God, that religion is consolation for the poor and needy. But actually greatly gifted people need God every bit as much as the rest of us, because they in a position to do great harm to themselves and others, both materially and spiritually. And we must be careful not to be beguiled by the idols of popular culture, but instead look deeply and think deeply about what it is that makes cultural icons so appealing. You need to know who their collaborators are.
Reflection
What aspects of the culture am I attracted to? Why am I attracted? Is the attraction good or bad?
