‘Imagine’ Revised as a Reflection on the Faith and Social Doctrine of the Church
By Fredi D’Alessio
Imagine there’s a Heaven,
It’s easy if you try,
A hell below us,
Above us Holy sky,
Imagine all the people
Living for God’s way ~
Heaven and hell do exist, as does a spiritual warfare between good and evil. What is good and holy comes from God (from heaven above) and what is evil comes from Satan (from hell below). We live for what pleases God (not to have everything our way; but his).
Imagine there’s no hatred
It isn’t hard to do,
No cause to kill or die for,
And one religion too,
Imagine all the people
Living in Christ’s peace ~
Though we would gladly die for God there would be no cause to. He would have no enemies, nor would we. All people would be united by their common faith in the one Triune God and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. There would be one Church of God, the truly universal Church of Christ Jesus sent forth to the whole world by Him for its conversion to the Gospel.
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world believes as one
Every Christian should have the same desire for unity as expressed by Jesus in his prayer to the Father: “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also might be in us, so that the world may believe that thou has sent me.”(Jn 17:20-21)
Imagine shared possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No deeds of greed, no hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world ~
In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. Although, mankind is called to respect both the universal destination of goods and the right to private property, the right to private property does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind.
(There is but one Owner of the World)
You may say I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one,
I hope someday you’ll join us,
And the world will love as one
And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandants depend all the law and the prophets. (Mt 22:37-40)
(Love of neighbor cannot be separated from love of God)
Click here for a side-by-side lyric comparison with the original.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
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