(Imagine…by John Lennon)
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…
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Somehow, this atheistic musical reflection from former Beatle John Lennon found its way into former President Jimmy Carter’s recent funeral service. It was wedged in among classic hymns of the Christian faith, including “Come Thou Almighty King,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Be Still My Soul.”
The large crowd was also blessed to hear the choir perform the “Navy Hymn”—aka “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”
Yes…imagine if the 39th President were alive to hear Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood offering a song of no eternal hope in contrast to what Carter knew to be true! The belief that there is a heaven. One true religion. And One Savior for all mankind. Imagine that.
A true enigma at what was otherwise a service filled with Scripture and testimony.
Truth be told, the Carter legacy is an enigma in and of itself. Here was a man who clearly demonstrated humility as a public servant. Even more incredibly, he showed up devotedly for church—and taught Sunday School classes for years after his White House days.
He helped build homes for the disadvantaged, serving with Habitat for Humanity. And was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Carter demonstrated what it means to be a devoted husband to one wife, Rosalynn, and a caring and present father to four children.
His was not a “private faith.” He shared his beliefs with world leaders. He was even said to have done door-to-door evangelism.
He cared about reconciliation. Attempts were made to foster peace in the Middle East; to broker healthier relationships with divided American political parties. All good stuff.
And yet, his politics within the church and in government were enigmatic to many. His inability to rescue American hostages likely cost him a second term. As a Southern Baptist for decades, Jimmy Carter abandoned the denomination in 2000. He became frustrated with his Baptist brothers’ opposition to women’s ordination and women’s roles in general.
Jimmy Carter would have had plenty with which to disagree with Donald Trump—the man who returns to the White House on January 20th.
Mr. Trump is also quite the enigma. He will become the first convicted felon to serve as president of these United States. No, don’t worry, he won’t be headed to any white collar prison in the near future. This despite the fact that Mr. Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies in the famed New York “hush-money” trial. (Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to “unconditional release,” letting Trump avoid jail time.)
And for even more enigma fun, how about his “budding” friendship with Barack Obama? The two men were “yucking it up” a bit at the Carter funeral. (My wife found it rather distasteful.) There you go—the man Obama called a fascist having a bit of a bromance with the man about whom Trump once said,
“President Obama has been the most ignorant president in our history.”
Don’t ya just love politics?
One of the most stunning enigmas of the last election was the resurgence of the conservative vote. No one I know would have predicted Republicans would win the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House. Oh…and winning the popular vote as well. Shocking.
History has revealed the greatest enigma of all time. A young man from an unknown family, with no visible pedigree, would rise from obscurity and become not just a king…but the King of kings. But oh, the price Jesus of Nazareth paid.
I trust by now John Lennon has figured out the error of his musical musings. All he needed to do was read the Teacher’s own words:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)
Truly…Imagine that!
