This summer our family made a visit to the Windy City,
Chicago. Eight of us took in as much as
we could in a couple of days. While
there, we went to see a show called Million
Dollar Quartet, a dramatic recreation of an impromptu jam session with four
legendary pioneers of rock 'n roll -
Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. On a December evening in 1956 those four
legends all found themselves at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records, had the
wherewithal to record the session which ranged from Gospel harmonies to all-out
rock 'n roll.
The show chronicled that night including the conversations
that took place between all the characters.
The actor that played Sam Phillips was a narrator of sorts providing
some monologue that gave historical perspective on the artists and the time
period. At times everyone on the stage
would freeze while Phillips provided the commentary. One of those freeze frames had all four musicians
gathered around the piano. With the
lights dimmed and only a spotlight on
Phillips, he made an insightful comment that went something like this:
"All
four of these men went on to have remarkable and successful music careers. I only wish they could have enjoyed as much success
in their personal lives."
That struck me right between the eyes. You would think that these men who were
adored by thousands and rich beyond most our imaginations would have lived the
lives that all of us dream of. A few Google
searches and Wikipedia articles confirmed that these four men had more than
their share of personal struggles. Money, fame, and success may not be all
they're cracked up to be!
We so often equate financial or professional success with
happiness. We think if we only had a little
more of this or that, then our lives would be complete. Just a little more and that elusive joy would
follow right along. We are so easily
deceived into thinking that more stuff means more joy.
This may have been why Jesus said radical things like,
"Seek first the Kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added to
you." It may be why Jesus issued
sobering warnings like, "It's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of
heaven." Jesus may have been
on to something when he told us that purpose,
joy, and satisfaction are not found in the stuff of the world but in a relationship
with God! Jesus sees it as a tragedy
when we worship the creation and ignore the Creator!
The Bible is replete with warnings about the deceit of riches
and Million Dollar Quartet confirmed
them all. It's not that money is
wrong. What's wrong is what we expect
money can do for us. It is no
replacement for the thrill of knowing God and the joy of loving others!
That production certainly entertained me, but it also reminded
me that life is not so much a matter of what we accumulate. Success is living a life in recognition of
the God who made me and loves me. Joy is
found in loving that God and loving the people around me.
After the show, the eight of us walked the streets of
Chicago back to our hotel. It was a
beautiful evening in August and, although that night will never be chronicled on
stage, as I looked around at those walking with me and the love we have for each
other I must admit, I felt like a million bucks!
