Let It Be

When I find myself in times of trouble

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

And in my hour of darkness

She is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be.

There will be an answer, let it be.  (Beatles)

Psalm 107:1-8  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

I was appalled to see the veneration of the Beatles at this year’s Grammy’s.  These shows don’t usually peak my interest.  But, to see people applaud an anthem of disharmony and revolution in a time when unity was fundamental for success brought a wave of disgust, shame, and nausea.  “Let it be”, was sung with raptured visages and a parody of a church choir within an imitation church as scenes of the Vietnam tragedy and social unrest was plastered in vivid color over all.  The last straw was when the symbol of social unrest, anti-war sentiment, and irreverence was lit in bright splendor overhead.  Does anyone know the origin and evil represented by the “peace sign” any more?  Does the slaughter of three million Vietnamese people after America’s withdrawal fit into the “answer” this song implies?  “There will be an answer, let it be.”  There will always be an answer, but to “let it be”, will only lead to a wrong answer.  Is this wisdom or folly? 

Suppose when Adam brought the curse of sin to this world God merely shrugged his shoulders and said, “Let it be”.  Adam would have, first, further rebelled by eating of the Tree of Life.  What then?  That would have led to eternal death with no hope of redemption.  Is it in God’s interest to provide atonement and redemption for man’s fall?  Only, if God had not uttered the venerated words of the Beatle’s apathetic anthem, “Let it be”.  Times of trouble should indicate to someone that there is a problem.  To leave any problem alone, or to let it be, will only result in a festering, growing, and overwhelming situation. 

“Let it be” is the anthem of tolerance toward intolerable reasoning and truth.  This is certainly not the attitude we would want to instill in our children, or expect from our parents.  Imagine your child under assault at their school and a passing teacher just shrugged and said, “Let it be”.  Many think the attitude portrayed in this anthem of “peace” is the answer to strife and disharmony.   It is an anthem of non-involvement, a non-committal spirit, and irresponsibility. 

The attitude and message in this song only encourages us and our nation to observe and not interfere.  Interference – the absolute contradiction of apathy.  Interference in the plans of Hitler, Stalin, Kaddafi, Saddam, and others has brought about a peace of sorts.  It is an unsteady and tenuous peace.  It is a peace which demands vigilance and constant effort.  Peace in our present world can be found at the hand of a repressive dictator or at the behest of free men.  It is simply a matter of perspective.  Had our nation not interfered in the affairs of oppressive nations we would enjoy the peace of inaction, and others would have suffered the peace of repression. 

Wouldn’t it be better to be delivered than to be shackled?  Isn’t it better to be led than dead?  God has promised great reward, yet the reward cost Him much pain, trial, and sacrifice.  Would you embrace a God that would rather “Let it be”, and perhaps start anew?  Or, one who is merciful and just, that interfered in our plight and took measures for redemption.  John Lennon, one of the Beatle’s, once said they were more popular than Jesus, and that Christianity would vanish and shrink.  Such popularity is vain and temporal.  Where is John today?  I would say the Beatle’s are shrinking and becoming few, their influence fading.  Popularity is a contest of the prideful, a sin of epic proportions.  In all the descriptions of God in the Bible not one mentions Him as popular or prideful.  Rather it reveals that Jesus is the epitome of humility and is rejected of men.  Does our rejection of Christ warrant the atonement He brought to all people?  Even rejected and alone Jesus intervened to become the one and only “answer”.

“Let it be”, is Satan’s and man’s answer.

“Come to me” is Jesus’ answer.