IMAGINE

It’s been almost fifty years since John Lennon asked us to imagine a world with no countries and thus “nothing to live or die for”, a world with “all the people living in peace.” Yes, imagine that! I did. And I imagine millions of others did to, maybe billions. But the sad truth is that is probably all we did: we imagined such a world and then quickly convinced ourselves that such a world could never exist.

Several weeks ago Bishop Michael Curry, preaching at the Royal Wedding, asked us to imagine a world “where love is the way”. For when love is the way of this world, truly the way of this world, “no child will go to bed hungry…justice will roll down like a mighty stream and righteousness like an ever-flowing brook…poverty will become history…the earth will be a sanctuary.” Again, imagine that!

And, once again as we did all those years ago, for one brief moment we actually did imagine such a world. And, once again, I suspect we have all moved on because we still do not believe such a world is possible especially given the divisiveness that is so very, very – and tragically and sadly – rampant in this country of ours.

But we cannot and must not give up or give in. For what we imagine to become real, we have to actually do something to make those imaginary dreams become realities. Dreams do not come to fruition on their own. We have to do what needs to be done to make them come true. Otherwise they will simply remain wonderful dreams that momentarily give us pause and be uplifted. But that is all.

We need to be reminded of what we can be, can become, should be and should become as John Lennon and Michael Curry have done. Now it is up to us both individually and together to actually make what we imagine to become real. That will not be easy. It will never be easy given our proclivity to look out for ourselves first and foremost to the detriment of everyone and everything else.

I mean, how do we think we got into this mess in the first place, got to the point where we need to be reminded to open our minds and hearts to imagine what should be but what isn’t? And we’ve wallowed in this mess both because we have convinced ourselves that nothing can really be done about it and, worse, because we have been unwilling to do much on our part – except hope and wish and dream and imagine.

The sad – and tragic – part for me is that those who can do the most and do it most quickly to begin to bring about the world Lennon and Curry ask us to imagine are our politicians. But they really do not care. They say they do, but they do not. Actions speak louder than words. Their only real care is getting re-elected. Even so, that is no excuse for me, for any of us, for not doing our small part, whatever that is, to do what we can to make this country, this world, what we imagine it can and should be.