A "Summer of Love"

Forty years ago this summer, 1967, was the "Summer of Love." Thousands of young people, united for a new social experience, came to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. But why there? John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas took twenty minutes to write the lyrics for the song "San Francisco"--the song was designed originally to promote the June 1979 Monterey Pop Festival--the world's first major rock festival which was attended by over 200,000 people.

The song went:

If you're going to San Francisco,

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...

If you're going to San Francisco,

Summertime will be a love-in there

The song became an instant hit and went well beyond its original purpose. The Beatles and their music also contributed to the global impact of the "Summer of Love." Their album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was released in June, 1967. Rolling Stone magazine has referred to it as the "greatest" and "most influential album of all time." On June 25, 1967, the Beatle's song, "All You Need is Love," was heard around the world as a part of the "Our World" radio broadcast--empahsizing the countercultural ideas of love, freedom and unity.

During the "Summer of Love" as many as 100,000 young people from around the world flocked to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. It was not long, however, before huge problems arose--the whole scene deteriorated rapidly. Overcrowding, homelessness, hunger, drug problems and crime afflicted the whole scene and neighborhood. People just started to leave. On Ocotober 7, 1967, those remaining in the Haight staged a mock funeral: "The Death of the Hippie" ceremony, to signal the end of the scene.

What they came for, what they longed for didn't happen. The song, "All You Need is Love" supposedly emphasized the ideals of love, freedom and unity. After reading Galatians 5:1, 13-15, you could make a three-part outline of Paul's emphasis of love, freedom and unity.

We as people long for love, we want to be free and we desire unity. What we have is two sources offering what we long for--two completely different ways to find it and two compeltely different results. What started as an "outward" quest turned "inward" to find those things like love, freedom and unity. Members of the Beatles and others turned "east" in a spiritual quest. Another element went spiritual too--it was then that we saw the birth of the "Jesus Movement"in the late 60's.

Paul tells us that Christ is our liberator. Christ has liberated us so that we can love, have true freedom, serve one another and experience true unity. Freedom, Christian freedom, does not mean permisison to do whatever we want--rather, Christian freedom is liberation from the prison of self-absorption and freedom from enslavement to insecurity and pride. We grasp that God, in Christ, reallyt does love us and accepts us. We realize he can live within us to change us, to meet our needs, and to touch others through us. We no longer have to strive to get his attention or earn his approval or stay in his good graces. We are emancipated to turn our focus and attention to the needs of others. We serve by letting divine love flow through us.

What's the secret to a life of freedom? Resting in his perfect grace and relying on his infinite strength. Paul tells us where we can find true freedom, love and unity. Following the cravings and desires from within will only lead to where those who came to the Haight did back in 1967--looking for something more. Jesus talked a lot about love, and could also say, "All you need is love," but understand what kind and from what source.

Jesus came in love to serve us. and he calls us to his table and says, "Eat"--he has prepared a table of bread and wine--where offers himself and the benefits of his sacrifice for us. He dwells in our hearts to change our desires and affections.

The "Summer of Love", forty years ago this summer, taught us a lot about freedom and how to find it. It's not about putting flowers in your hair and heading for San Francisco, it's about seeing that it's not something we can come up with on our own, but given to us as a gift from God. Look to Christ and this will not just be a "Summer of Love", but a lifetime of love--that will last for all eternity.