In the song, “it was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play …” but in fact it’s been 50 years since the album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” came out. (My apologies in advance to anyone who came of age musically before the Beatles were available on iTunes and therefore missed the reference here.) I remember Sgt. Pepper well, but my mind goes back to Magical Mystery Tour, the album which also came out in 1967, and to one song in particular, “All You Need is Love”. (If you played 45’s, (single song per side, 45 revolutions per minute, small vinyl records) the B (or “flip”) side was “Baby You’re a Rich Man”)

The chorus floats so easily to mind:

All you need is love.

All you need is love.

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need.

And that’s it, the gospel in a nut shell. “All you need is love” (“And baby you got it!” – but that’s another song – however, a key part of the gospel. 😉)

So, therefore, love God (the one who supplies all the love you’ll ever need)

And love your neighbor (they may find God through you and God is certainly working in and through you),

And remember, (in the words of Lennon and McCartney, and Jesus):

All you need is love (All together, now!)

All you need is love (Everybody!)

All you need is love, love. Love is all you need (love is all you need).

And if you can’t hear the tune to these lyrics playing in your head. I am lifting up a special prayer for you, that you might have, today, some of the joy that the Beatles brought to so many people (especially my brother Greg and his family, including their son, John Paul) and the peace which the Gospel strives to bring to everyone, to the whole world.

And thinking back to that “flip side” (see paragraph one) – God loves you, and me and each of us UNCONDITIONALLY, and that makes us all rich men and women!

Mike

Read Romans 8:37-39: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A37+-+39&version=NRSV

And if you just have to hear that Beatles tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsxtImDVMig