More than ever, John Lennon’s message must be heard

This month marks 40 years since John Lennon’s tragic and senseless assasination in 1980. Given the rising tensions between the United States and China, as well as Russia and Iran, the influential musician’s vision of world peace is more relevant and urgently needed today than in his lifetime.

Back then, it was an era when so many anti-war and civil rights activists inspired millions of people of all ages and races in the fight to end the United States’ unjust and murderous attack on the people of Vietnam and to bring lasting racial justice and genuine equality to the U.S. itself.

The sad truth is that, since Lennon’s death, the forces of destructiveness in the world are still alive. War, terrorism, poverty, homelessness and famine, racism and the oppression of women and other gender minorities and, most perilous of all, the accelerating rate of global warming coupled with the continuing spread of nuclear weapons are still with us and growing.

These problems overpower the worldwide movement for peace, liberty, love, meditativeness and respect for the Earth’s badly abused ecosystems, rainforests and wildlife. Today humanity and all of life face more possibility of total destruction than at any other time in history — including the lifetime of Lennon himself and the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s and ’ 70s.

These dangerous and scary days we are living through now call out for a rebirth of peaceful and positive change, both within our own personal lives and throughout this nation and the entire world community. Our spirits will be lifted and made stronger. They will be more capable of this needed change by reconnecting with the music songs, poetry and dances of cultural revolutionaries like

Lennon. His world fame began as the most rebellious member of the Beatles and continued to grow after his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969. It grew again after the Beatles breakup that soon followed in 1970.

The last five years of Lennon’s life seemed headed for a new chapter in his recording and concert career. In his last interview only three days before his murder, Lennon emphasized that his message of “give peace a chance” and “imagine” was not unique — that he was merely carrying a torch that must be passed on to others.

That torch for a better and more loving humanity is still burning. Despite the terrifying chances for humankind’s self- destruction, there are still strong reasons for us not to become hopeless and apathetic and surrender to the voices of cynicism and despair:

The most overriding reason to rededicate ourselves to humanity’s survival and eventual liberation is that the urge for love, truth and justice is immensely powerful and seems to reside in even the worst human beings imaginable.

Even Adolf Hitler occasionally “lost control of himself”and hugged and kissed his dog. In fact, there are many examples throughout history where people who seemed totally committed to doing evil and harm to others suddenly changed course and dedicated themselves to their improvement and redemption.

A most notable example is the complete transformation of the history Buddhist figure Angulimala. He was a man in the days of ancient India who murdered 999 innocent people and was in search of his 1000th victim.Yet, when challenged by the enlightened mystic and sage, Guatama the Buddha, he realized the stupidity of his cruel destructiveness and became a totally new person.

He spent the rest of his life in meditation.

Finally, Mark Chapman, the man who killed Lennon, has come to see that his violence was wrong. I have watched and listened to his talks recorded on video of his radical change of heart. His new attitude is convincing and his remorse sincere.

It is this possibility for a genuine change in us that gives hope that in spite of all the destructive forces that are propelling the world toward catastrophe. There is still cause to imagine a world of love and sharing and to give peace a chance.

These dangerous and scary days we are living through now call out for a rebirth of peaceful and positive change.