Imagine
Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky.
John Lennon wrote those words for his song Imagine in 1971. He wasn’t big on organized religion; none-the-less, he espoused living in harmony with our fellow citizens in ways that many devout religious simply do not. The words of this song have been a recurring theme in my head during this tumultuous month of November 2020. This election cycle appears to have ripped off a scab covering a festering wound of our society, a deep division of values and perspectives on the world. What I find comforting in the midst of these turbulent times, is that I work with many, and socialize with several, co-workers and friends who have these different values and perspectives that I do not share. Yet, my workplace and kitchen table are not fraught with mistrust, arguments and accusations. We, in fact, work and socialize quite well. It’s akin to the mantra that all [real] politics is local, coined by the late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill. And, indeed, on a local level, political divisions have a way of disappearing. Everyone seems to collaborate with trust and generosity over how and when to have the street repaved, rezoning for building projects, the local school board, or even to facilitate a semblance of Halloween for neighboring children during these Covid times of ours.
Why do things change when our dialogue rises to a national level? I suspect it’s because we feel the risk of losing something valuable. Maybe it’s our place in society, maybe it’s the full value of our worth—monetarily. In short, I wonder if it’s things; things we possess; things we covet. John Lennon goes on to sing, Imagine there’s no possessions, I wonder if you can. For some reason, though his song posits all kinds of imaginary scenarios, imagining no possessions is the one I find most compelling. It’s as if Lennon got down to the kernel of angst in humanity. I know those familiar with the song will say, “Hold on, there. Lennon has some real impossible imaginings going on in those lyrics—no countries, no religion, no greed or hunger.” I know, I know. But the thing most people can’t live without are possessions. For all intents and purposes, people have lived, at some time or other, with all the scenarios Lennon hopes for, but I find it difficult to think of a time and place when people didn’t own something, even if just their family.
So, what would the world be like without possessions? It’s impossible isn’t it? Lennon said as much by singing that you’d rightfully call him a dreamer. We live in times of hyper intense consumerism and it begs the question, have we gradually become more intolerant the more things we acquire? Is it possible that in decades past, people were at least more engaging, if not more benevolent, towards one another? I’m not a social scientist and strolling down this path too far makes me uncomfortable as my credibility is likely to wane. Suffice it to say, we can all agree that we buy more these days than we need to, and we are more intolerant these days than we used to. I’ll let you find how to piece the puzzle together.
I’d like to propose that to heal the world, and America by extension, maybe we need to make less comparisons with our neighbors. Covet less and own—yes, less. It does sound a little like one of the Ten Commandments I studied as a child. I think John Lennon didn’t really have a problem with a religion that really united humankind. He simply couldn’t find one. In reality, his lyrics propose a religion that can be found in any belief that espouses caring for our fellow citizens. It’s just that his view is an unvarnished view.
© Eric Clark 11/21/2020
Photo: hirshhorn.si.edu
