As I was driving into church on Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to listen to a portion of President Jimmy Carter’s memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.  As part of the service, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sang John Lennon’s classic song “Imagine.”

Most are familiar with this song.  Among the lyrics are:

Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us, only sky…

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too.

Predictably and almost immediately, reaction among many Christians was harsh. They were offended by the suggestion to “imagine there’s no heaven” or to “imagine… no religion too.” And because the National Cathedral is an Episcopal Church, there was plenty of strident criticism for those who would allow such music to be sung in church on such an august occasion. “Who,” some demanded, “chose that song to be sung at Jimmy Carter’s funeral?” 

Well, the answer to that question is: Jimmy Carter. Yes, the 39th President of the United States and Sunday School teacher requested that John Lennon’s Imagine be played at his funeral.  In fact, it was played at his wife Rosalynn’s funeral as well.  Apparently, it was one of Jimmy Carter’s favorite songs.

Quite frankly, the criticism launched by Christians at those who planned Carter’s funeral reminded me of the verbal assault that Jesus himself experienced from the pharisees, sadducees and scribes of his own day who became enraged when Jesus challenged the religious status quo.

You see, Jimmy Carter, like Jesus, believed that it wasn’t one’s words that mattered as much as one’s actions. Jimmy Carter, like Jesus, pledged his allegiance to God’s agenda of justice and mercy and compassion and love for all.  Jimmy Carter, like Jesus, believed that instead of focusing one’s life on the hereafter, one should do one’s best, right here and now, to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God. Jimmy Carter, like Jesus, tried to do the right thing despite the consequences to his own political and personal life.  And Jimmy Carter, like Jesus, wasn’t afraid to shake it up so that people might begin to see their lives and the world as does God.

Jimmy Carter was a good, not perfect man. He tried to walk the way of Jesus. With his life, he encouraged us to do the same.  Now, just imagine that.

~Father Art