Friday, January 22, 2010

The great search

The Gospel According to the Beatles
I've been reading the 'Gospel according to the Beatles' and it has made me wonder a number of  things especially about John Lennon.

This man had a desire for the supernatural. In any ways he was a seeker, he knew he couldn't overcome his or the worlds problems by himself.  He was in many way an ardent critic of Christianity, but I think it was through the eyes of critiquing it through the excesses of western Christianities 'Religiosity'.
I've always thought that we would be surprised at who ended up next to the King and who wouldn't when we die.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

In may ways I think if you are 'knocking', you are for filling the first commandment. Matthew 22:37-40: (Amplified)

37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.

In many ways those that are knocking are loving of God, without really understanding the nature or who God is. (I think we are all in catagory more than we would like to admit! I feel like I have to continually come back to the door and knock.)

John Piper in his book 'Desiring God' uses an interesting term 'Hedonistic Christianity'. Instead of the common use of the word, desiring pleasure for the individuals own good. Piper twists it so that pleasure is only found through the desire and doing God's will. I think he is right, yet I also think it is a lot broader than a Christian perspective. A 'Spiritual Hedonism' is probably what I would like to call it. Spiritual Hedonism that sees that earthly pleasures as no good, and that pleasure can only be found in the divine, which must be searched to the alpha and omega.

Interestingly I think John Lennon probably got to this point. He was a person who had to much money, so much he didn't really know what to do with it. (Why not paint your Roll's pink!) He had fame. Also there was a desire to make the world a better place.... Why not have a 'Bed in'

Bed in for Peace: All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance [VHS]

5 comments:

urbanmonk said...

Seeing a doco where Lennon invites a freaked out, obviously unhinged young fella into his mansion asking him, "have you had anything to eat?" was a bit of an eye opener.

Ive always wondered why it is that Lennon is lauded like a kind of musical Gandhi or MLK. He obviously hit some kind of nerve.

Scott said...

He is in many ways a strange messianic figure in some ways...

Scott said...

The other thing is I'd love to get my hands on that documentary. Do you know what it was called?

jabbiru said...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095360/

this a link to the john lennon doco you were interested in viewing.

Scott said...

Thanks Jabbiru