There was a song recorded by the well-known singer, Peggy Lee, in 1969 entitled, “Is That All There Is?” The song laments the hollow, empty feeling we sometimes have after witnessing some seemingly important event such as a home fire, a trip to the circus, or a lost love.
Our constant quest for entertainment or excitement can cause us to feel empty and unsatisfied when it’s over and long for the next “fix”. The chorus of the song expresses it this way: “ If that’s all there is, my friend, then let’s keep dancing; let’s break out the booze and have a ball if that’s all there is”.
The solution or answer to this is found in the Bible as it tells God’s story and his relation with man; the Creator and the created. It begins in Genesis where it tells of the creation, continues on in the rest of the Old Testament as it reveals an effort by God to help man understand his motives, and reaches the conclusion in the New Testament as it reveals the truth that God loves us and longs for a relationship with us.
The Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of Jesus, the son of God, as he taught us the depth of God’s love for us and made the greatest sacrifice by laying down his life for us, that we might have forgiveness of our sins. In Matthew 11:28-30, he gives us the ultimate invitation when he says: “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
We cannot just “keep dancing” to solve the problems of life or receive that “peace which surpasses all understanding” mentioned in Philippians 4:4-7.
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