Imagine

1 March 2026

By Pastor John Macindoe - Senior Pastor

Sometime in my mid-teens I discovered ‘The Beatles’. I knew a couple of songs and purchased a cassette tape called ‘The Beatles Ballads’. I loved every song on that tape and went on to discover more. It didn’t change my life, but it sure enhanced it.

The Beatles went their separate ways after an acrimonious break up in 1970. John Lennon, their main front man, went on to pursue a solo career.

Lennon’s most famous solo song is debatably ‘Imagine’. A well-loved song, often played on the radio and sung by many in their school choir. In this song Lennon asks us to imagine a world with no concept of heaven and hell, no religion, countries or possessions. This would be a world of peace and unity, a world without conflict. He asks us to imagine such a world so that maybe, just maybe, this imagined world might become reality.

Reality, however, has a much sharper edge. John Lennon’s own life was one of conflict, pain, and insecurity. How can we hope for a world of peace when we can’t secure peace in our own lives?

It only takes a brief moment of thought to see the naivety in Lennon’s song. Yet, and here’s the punch, the Bible promises us just such a world. God is establishing a kingdom of righteousness where there will be no division over religion, nationality, ethnicity, possessions or power. There will be one glorious king whom all subjects will willingly submit to. In order to establish this kingdom, God will put a total end to selfishness and evil, the true sources of conflict in our lives and our world.

Just imagine such a world. What humanity yearns for can only be found in Jesus Christ. We don’t sing ‘Imagine’. We proclaim a living hope. Lay up your treasure in heaven.