IMAGINE— A MEDITATION
Fantasy or courageous dream?
Image by Joost Evers / Anefo, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. More details below*.
Reflecting on Imagine on the 23rd anniversary of John Lennon’s departure…
Could imagination be our ultimate liberation?
Dogmas on heaven and hell have not served us well. Demagogues delude us into supporting their aims at the expense of our lives in hopes of a golden afterlife if we follow them; or hellfire if we fail to do so.
Hell is right here on Earth when we turn against each other in delusional violence. We have so much for which to be thankful, right here, right now. Living in love for the other is heaven and transcends space and time.
All the attention to countries and boundaries keeps us apart. Our borders teem with refugees blocked by our insecurities. How many have died following the false songs from dictatorial mouths?
How many wars have been fought needlessly? We are soaked in the blood of innocents. How appropriate would it be to be called inhabitants of the red planet instead of the inhabitants of the blue marble?
Even today, war is waged throughout the world endorsed by religious establishments while all that the families of the combatants want is to exist, in peace, raising families with a full stomach. How do we reconcile those endorsements, when the very doctrine of the founders of those religions preached love and non-violence, sharing what we have with others, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, taking care of the destitute, living as sisters and brothers?
Yes, “imagine all the people living life in peace”. Have we learned nothing in 200,000 years as Homo sapiens?
Heeding the words of the song Imagine may brand us as dreamers or worse. It takes courage to stand up to the challenge in the words of Imagine.
Can we muster the courage to live as one and preserve our world currently assailed by greed, violence, and war?
For the memories:
That's my dream. And what is the alternative? We can't afford it in any way, shape or form.
As we increase the lights ... we celebrate the potential, the miracles. Happy Third Night to all who celebrate Hanukah. During this Season of Lights for all traditions that seek to defy the dark , I'm right there with you - imagine the new life, the new insights, the undiscovered power of love that awaits our courage!