Lennon imagined better than most

One of my favorite songs is “Imagine", the song John Lennon released in 1971, as it embodies life as it should be on our small, beautiful blue planet.  I bet he got part of his inspiration for the song after pictures of earth became available from the Apollo missions. 

Beyond that view, the meaning of that song to me is a plea for a world at peace, without the barriers of religion, nationality, and material possessions that often divide humanity and cause conflict and suffering. In retrospect I’m amazed that he grasped these fundamental truths at the threshold of his 30s, but his life experiences were multiple, complex, challenging and relentless until that time. 

On religion, when he sings "Imagine there's no heaven... And no hell below us... And no religion, too," he goes after the religious dogma and the concept of an afterlife that constantly creates conflict and distracts us from the present and John suggests that humanity would be much better off without that burden. 

His vision of unity envisions a world where people are united as one, transcending national borders as seen on the blue planet picture ("Imagine there's no countries"), racism and living in perfect harmony ("the world will live as one"). 

There is no room for nationalism either in his worldview: "Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion, too." This rebukes nationalistic fervor and the idea of dying for one's country as ultimately futile in a truly peaceful world. 

Then there’s that demand to focus on the present: "Imagine all the people / Livin' for today" where he emphasized the importance of concentrating on the present moment and earthly existence rather than falling for the promises or threats of an afterlife. 

Sure, one can criticize the seemingly Utopian vision of the song, but its message of hope is forceful. Lennon acknowledges that he might be seen as a dreamer, but he expresses the hope that others will join him in this vision, eventually making it a reality. 

At its core, "Imagine" promotes humanistic values such as peace, love, compassion, and the sharing of resources. 

It envisions a world where basic human needs are met and people live in mutual respect and to me, is the embodiment of the updated philosophy Jesus would have conveyed had he lived in the 20th century...