The Beatles

The Beatles, John, Paul, George and Ringo, with their rock and roll music had a lasting impact on the world, one that is evident even though the four are no longer a band and some are dead. They were so spiritually oriented in their presentations, so influencial over youth and popular in the world that John Lennon announced to the world in 1966, that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus." It was evident not only to John, but to the world that behind the messages of the music was a spiritual force that was almost becoming a religion.

This post is not so much about the Beatles as it is their spiritual legacy in the world. It's about Jesus the savior and about John, Gensis and Peter. It' s about John, John Lennon; it's about Genesis, not the book, but the band; and itt's about Peter, that is, not the apostle Peter, not St. Peter standing at the gates of heaven, but Peter Gabriel, and it's about the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics which featured a song by John Lennon was a spectacular production. you can view it at several youtube sites. Called "Sparks of Passion" it began with a voice telling the audience: PASSION LIVES HERE.
It was quite a show!

I found the passion of it all interesting right away, since it seemed to me that there had recently been a lot of books and movies about "passion" (and purpose, and having passion for your purpose) marketed en mass to consumers in America around the same time. Even a drive past one of the local universities, a Jesuit University called Gonzaga, has flags along the road that read, "find your passion." It's a common and familiar theme, in other words. This too is interesting...

Passion, besides meaning "intense emotion, or enthusiasm," refers often to the suffering of Jesus upon the cross when he was crucified, (particularly in catholic circles.) The word comes from a Latin root word that means "to suffer" or to endure."

With the Olympic stage set for "passion" the opening ceremony began.

A large silver anvil with two horns, one on either side stood before the crowd, as did a masked muscular man dressed in red. The anvil was hit with an enormous hammer held by the man. As it was hit flames poured out of it into the air. Then the anvil changed colors from silver to gold.

The man with the hammer was referred to as "Lord of the Rings" by the commentators because as an Italian gymnast, he was a gold medalist, (you know, the men perform on the "rings"...) and then he was further described by the commentators as wearing the costume of a "metropolitan shaman." A "shaman," they continued, " is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the visible world and the invisible world."

There were obvious religious and spiritual overtones here... of many flavors non-the-less.

The anvil was then described as representing "the industrial past," in particular, of the local area. Then as a gong sounded, the golden box with horns was hit again and again with the maul-like hammer. Flames flew upwards each time it was hit, and hordes of dancers dressed in red moved from behind the stage to dance across the floor. In their dances they danced and moved like flames themselves to the sound of gong and drum.

From the built in circles on the floor, choreographed flames of fire rose up over 3 meters high and then ice skaters joined the dancers in entertaining the crowd with their fire dance. It was after all the Winter Olympics, and it was a stage of ice.

In minutes the stage of ice became a pounding, swirling mass of movement and fire until the announcers told us that the dancers, in their red costumes, represented blood. The blood red dancers then formed a heart shaped figure at the center of the stage by gathering together and by moving in unison as the drums played, they simulated the beating of a heart.

The pounding of the drums became a heartbeat, then the heart (dancers) dispersed. They were then replaced on the stage by six fast skaters with flame throwing devices on their heads. These circled the stage until dancing trees and cow statues on wheels appeared and the stage was full of people dancing. You can imagine the spectacle of it all as anthems were playing, skaters carried flags, and skaters dressed like cow, trees and snowflakes. There were 50 snowflake skaters each with a huge 3-foot diameter balloon upon their head and all skated around until at last, they all dispersed. Then, like magic, the floor of the arena became a television screen and we were watching a downhill skier.

But it was really only an animated skier, animated by the collective bodies of hundreds of people that took to the stadium floor. Each was dressed so as to make up a pixel of the colorful choreographic presentation of the skier. The giant animated skier made from human bodies did a downhill run, and even appeared to soar through air as if going off a jump, and landed gracefully upon his skies to the uncontrolled cheers of the crowd.

Then the Flame throwing skaters returned to the scene and another elaborate "Spiderman" like presentation took to the floor. Bodies climbed up the poles that displayed the Olympic rings and then they were unveiled and illuminated as fireworks exploded in the sky. Then it was the Parade of Nations where the teams from every country were announced and celebrated.

Italian officials gave their blessings and their welcome to the crowd, and then the Olympic Flag was flown. Next, about two dozen acrobats took the stage, suspended by ropes or wires they climbed into the air on nearly invisible vertical wires above the stage and there they performed choreographed acrobatics to music. In finale they joined bodies together to made the shape of a dove, the universally recognized symbol of peace, on the highly suspended net. The audience broke into cheers, and then Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife, stood on stage.

From the stage she read a free verse poem from a prepared script calling for peace in the world. He performance concluded with her shouting to the entire Olympics watching world, “Imagine Peace.”

(It's a nice sentiment, but really, one must do more than simply IMAGINE it. One must live it.)

Anyhow, ... then the event announcer commented that she was “Yoko Ono, spreading the word.”

(Spreading the word?)

Again, take note that "Peter," was a prominent apostle, and "Gabriel" is the name of an angel, specifically the angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the savior of the world. And Yoko Ono is here, we are told, "spreading the word." The message is not about salvation. It's not even about how to have peace with God and one another through the Word made flesh, Jesus. It's really about blatantly dismissing the very foundational truths of the worlds salvation. Masking themselves as spiritual by their names, it's a new religion they sing about, one void of heaven hell, sin, death, bible or Jesus Christ who died for you and me.

Who would have even imagined?

No doubt, like the rest of the Olympic opening ceremony it was a heavenly sight and sound as lights flashed around the room like the stars of heaven and all the people sang along. It was remarkable to say the least to see people of every tongue and tribe and nation on earth lifting up their voices with Peter Gabriel and sang about how they much preferred a world without religion, without the promise of a place called heaven, a world where everyone just lived for today, and dispense with the concept of hell. It would appear that the entire world seemed enamored with Lennon's dream.

As the song goes, he is "not the only one."

However, such a world is imaginary. Worse than that it circumvents the truth of God. As a Christian I can say that one day God will make all things new and there will be peace forever, but without God... it's a whole different story. Jesus is a real hope for a problem world, and he is the one who promises to give us peace, not only hear on hearth and with one another, but with God. Instead the world imagines God away, or imagine that they can. The ironic thing is it that they did it with Peter Gabriel of the band Genesis and this because John himself couldn't be there.

John Lennon didn’t get to be the one to sing his song for the world. He didn’t even get see his song performed. He was not there to thank his wife for her support, nor to see North and South Korea lay aside their stark political differences for the sake of participation as one country in the 2006 Olympic games. John Lennon was not there, because he had long been dead. The world was forced to celebrate without him because his life tragically had ended one day in December 1980, when a man by the name of Mark Chapman, a supposed fan of John Lennon and his music, walked up to him on a busy New York City street and shot him with a gun.

The day John Lennon died, was a sad day that will be long remembered in human history. One minute, a vibrant, wonderfully creative man, was full of life, and the next he was gone; his life, poured out all at once, in what seemed but the blinking of an eye. With one act of violence, the man John Lennon was gone from Earth, void of life, dead...tragically lost in the meaningless madness of destruction and death that exists in the world, a madness that seems to never be satisfied.

There are a lot of speculative ideas about why Chapman shot and killed John Lennon., but no one really knows. Whatever the excuse, whatever the rational, whatever reason or suspicion you might imagine this act of violence might be, or not be, the facts remain; it was premeditated murder. Chapman did it. He not only admitted that he did it, but there were witnesses. One minute John was walking down a New York City street, a loving, funny, energetic and imaginative human being and the next, his life was snuffed out without any warning. His life came to an end when Mr. Chapman willingly pointed and fired the gun he held in his hand. Why did he do this?

Millions of people wonder.......

When Chapman was asked why he would do such a thing, (being a supposed “great fan” of John Lennon and all,) Chapman said it was because he “wanted to make a name for himself.”

That is exactly what happened. Chapman was instantly famous when the news hit the press that he shot John Lennon in front of his New York apartment.

Chapman was arrested and tried for his crime. The reports say that four out of five bullets fired from Chapman’s gun at close range hit John Lennon. Chapman was only sentenced ‘20 years to life.”

It's been over twenty years now, and would you believe, Chapman says he’s sorry and ashamed for what he did. He insists that he has gained a deeper understanding of the value of human life over all his prison years. He's sorry, but where will he find forgiveness? After all, the deed has been done, there is no turning back the hands of time. Nothing that any man can do will raise the man, John Lennon, back to life. Just what do you do with that?

What exactly does it take to actually forgive the evil that has been done? Twenty years??? Who will have compassion on this very guilty man? Why? Why would they? Should they? And, what about justice?

Justice we understand.

It's mercy, forgiveness, and compassion that we struggle with.

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Jesus Christ was a man like John.

Like John Lennon, Jesus Christ bled and died at the hands of those who wanted to make a name for themselves. Jesus however was also God.

Jesus had a lot Chapman's who wanted to rid the world around them of anything or anyone who is greater than they perceived themselves to be. Even today, there are a lot of people who would prefer to simply IMAGINE God away. But Jesus laid his life down, freely, and he will probably let them Imagine what they will, for God is not a tyrant. Jesus, unlike John Lennon, did not simply die and his life was over. He not only gave his life freely, but he took it up again. Jesus was able to raise his life again from the grave.

You can't keep a good man down.


Jesus was in every way a man like John Lennon was, but as evidenced by his healing of people, miracles and even raising Lazarus from the grave, and his own subsequent resurrection he was obviously in complete control. He was also in complete sinlessness and complete subjection to the father all along. Jesus’ life was real, just like John Lennon's, the pain and suffering was real, the forgiveness was real and so was the resurrection. But Jesus was the Messiah, God himself, and the one who was and is, and is to come. Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, the Lord of heaven.

It is God, our creator who gave us life in the beginning. It is God who established order and purpose in the universe. It is God who given us minds with which to grasp some meaning in this life we live upon the orb called earth. It is God who has given us our imagination wherein we have the freedom to think and dream and do anything we want to. God gives us everything we are and everything we have, hoping all the while we will respond to him, repent of sin and subject our will to his as he holds out His Word and His promises.

I kinda think that is what imagination is for... for understanding God, who is far above our understanding.


Genesis 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. " (KJV)


Deut. 29:19- 20 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. (KJV)


Jeremiah 7:23-24 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (KJV)


Jeremiah 23:16-17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. (KJV)


Let God into your heart. All you have to do is let him in. Let thoughts of him, his words, his ways, his promises fill your mind, touch your life, be your reality and your imagination. Love Him with your heart mind and soul. Love your neighbor, and do not simply "imagine peace," but make peace, with God. The result is a peace that no one can take away, a peace that passes understanding.

There is only one way... (John 14:6) It's not something you would even think up on your own, in fact it's something greater than you'd probably ever even imagine; Jesus.

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God is love.

He is full of compassion and mercy.

He even sent his only Son into the world knowing that the evil lurking in humanity’s heart would shoot an innocent man to death on the streets of New York city, and even nail a sinless man named Jesus to a wooden cross that had been fashioned from a tree.

But thank God, His mercy triumphs over his justice. In fact, he bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24; KJV) "

But it is the power of God that fulfills His Word and saves sinners who will repent. We can imagine that God is but a myth, we can deny the existence of heaven and of hell, even dismiss such absurdities as virgin birth, and resurrection from the dead, but these things are true. Our denial is only our imagination hard at work. These truths stand the test of time, and like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, only attacked with the intent to destroy, but they are not myths. They are real.

From the beginning to the end, God knows it all, but in the evil imaginations of our human heart we dare to reject God and all his wisdom. Instead of God we believe in myths... and imagine that there is no heaven or hell, when hell is real and it's what Jesus died to save us from. We go about our lives living only for today, believing there is nothing to live or die for, but knowing it's not true. Until we find ourselves seeking to find purpose and meaning in our lives, often without the one who gave us life in the beginning... after all, "It's easy if you try."


but the Apostle Paul did pray...
Eph 3:17 -21 "that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love---although it can never be fully known---and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen. "

We do not have to imagine what he must be like, because he had told us. He has showed us. (Micah 6:8) We do have to submit our will to his and believe him at his word. He is a just and merciful God, a God who loves us, showers us with mercy and grace and forgives all our sin in Christ. If the truth be made known, God is more, much more, than anything we could ever imagine or ask for (Ephesians 3: 20; NIV)... God is more than we can ever imagine, a reality we can believe in.

“Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2)