To Improve Life

A non-religious person might assume that to those who are affiliated with an organized faith, nothing is more important than their belief in a God or deities. While this is certainly an essential part, it is the good work that God inspires in people that truly matters: a person’s dedication to others is the true measure of the strength of his or her faith. Those who choose not to embrace spirituality in their lives may deprive themselves from this important ideal to live by, that all humans are equals on this earth, and that by caring for one another as such, we may be truly happy.

Together, and only together, we can combine our efforts to improve life on earth, and the first step is to promote kinship with those who live as we do. By this, I don’t mean people who share the same heritage, or act as we do, but everyone: humans. If we were to treat others in the same way that we would treat our family, our friends, and ourselves, we would all realize how easy it is to be good to all people, and how simple it is to appreciate all human life.

John Lennon’s song “Imagine” is celebrated as a secular example of this ideal, though its concepts do not stand steadfast when questioned. The song begins with Lennon’s preliminary address: “Imagine there’s no Heaven/It’s easy if you try/No hell below us/Above us only sky.” He means that if our lives on earth are all that we have, we would see the inherent value of our time here, and would all learn to live together. However, it’s my opinion that the masses would not act this way in this situation, but would rather be even more self-centered than they are currently. The majority of people would feel that since their entire existence is as short as it is, they wouldn’t let anyone stand in their way from enjoying life in their own way. Consider this frame of mind, and then step back for a moment. If this were reality, wouldn’t we wish for the presence of a God to bring meaning to our lives? Wouldn’t we want there to be a Heaven for us to aspire to, so that those that are selfish would be selfish in doing acts of good, in the name of the Lord?

As Lennon continues, “Imagine all the people/Living for today” (Lennon). I feel that that is precisely the problem; people will be overly concerned with the brevity of their lives, and will focus entirely on short-term pleasures. Later in the song, he suggests that peace may be found another way: “Imagine there’s no countries [. . .] And no religion too (Lennon).” Simply put, he envisioned a world without any reason for division. Despite the war and destruction that religious conflicts have caused, though, I believe that the hope, goodness, and strength attributed to faith on this earth have made a much greater impact.

Through the lens of religion or not, we must all see that as humans on this earth, we are all brothers and sisters. We have the strength to overcome various obstacles in our lives, and can overlook certain problems; we need to use these abilities to see past the insignificant differences that we each have, which we have mistakenly ingrained in ourselves as being important. Chiefly, we must embrace our capability to accept, to understand, and to forgive. If we all dedicate ourselves to each other, being generous with our time on this earth, sharing the talents we are blessed with, and giving the treasure that we possess, life will improve. We need to distance ourselves with material things that we perceive as being important, for when we do so to improve the life of another human being, it is undoubtedly worthwhile. When we are able to give to others, we are truly blessed.

Our lives are full of choices, yet so many of our decisions are insignificant. Were we to dedicate a mere fraction of our ability to giving to others, we would all live in a much better place. Some have opinions about what needs to change for such goodness to take place, but I feel that this power is already inside of us, waiting for us to reach it with the help of our God. We must see ourselves in each other, choosing to help those in need as if we were reaching out to a loved one. If we were born into a horrible situation, as so many people in the world experience, wouldn’t we yearn to be helped? Wouldn’t we grasp for hope as if scrambling for the few morsels of food on our plate, unsure of when the next portion will come? Imagine that our lives are judged, and that being selfless and generous is not just the key to living a fulfilling life, but that it will lead our Lord and Creator to grant us an everlasting life with Him. I can.