Tuesday Afternoon

A bit of a conversation with a very brief acquaintance about the Beatles led to the speculation about John Lennon's religious views. The gentleman I was speaking with said something along the lines that Lennon may have been a spiritual person, but not necessarily a religious one, citing the words from the song "Imagine". He then went on to inform me that there was a difference between religion and spirituality.

Blink.

What I thought: Well, duh, but thanks for thinking that I'm some sort of moron.

What I said: Oh, that is so very true.

There is a level of what we label human spirituality (which I think is merely the attainment of the ability to separate your own thoughts, wants, needs, and prejudices from your consideration of others), but there is a level that transcends even the term spiritual.

Mother Teresa, even though supposedly working under the banner of the Catholic religion, had attained that level.

Certainly Ghandi had attained it.

Buddha, absolutely.

I think John Lennon could see it. I think if he hadn't been taken so cruelly and so soon from us, he certainly would have continued to strive towards it and we all would have been more loved for it.

If only more of us would strive to transcend to that level of love and service to our fellow inhabitants of this earth, human and non-human, what a wonderful world this would be!

Thor sez: Imagine!