18 The story of reality – the road to nowhere

If you want to understand our culture, one of the best places is in popular music. The pop song “Road to Nowhere”, first released by Talking Heads in 1985, and recently re-released by others, sums up the true feelings of many.

We're on a ride to nowhere, Come on inside
Takin' that ride to nowhere, We'll take that ride

Maybe you wonder where you are, I don't care
Here is where time is on our side, Take you there, take you there.

The music is upbeat and the lyrics try to be the same, but they really are a message of despair. We are on a road to nowhere.

This song is an accurate reflection of how many people feel today. They try to kid themselves, try to keep busy, to live a whirlwind of good times, fill their lives with noisy distractions, but ultimately, underneath, there is despair.

For all the excitement of new things, of adrenalin rushing experiences, of fantastic opportunities to travel the world, of amazing medical discoveries, and many others, the modern Western world is on a road to nowhere.

I have described the Christian Story of Reality in the last few articles; it is a coherent and holistic understanding of life. It is in contrast to the most common worldview in our society, a view well expressed in this song, a worldview that says there is nothing beyond the grave, nothing to hope for.

The Christian story of reality tells us that God made a very good world, and the people in it were blessed with a close communion with their maker. But they rebelled and mankind has been in rebellion against God ever since and the world is a mess because of it. It cost God dearly to provide a way to restore the world to the way he designed it. The way back to God is a one-person-at-a-time process, it requires each of us to turn back to let God run our lives.

Instead of a road to nowhere, this puts all who are willing to trust God, on a path to an eternal new heaven and new earth, where peace and harmony will be restored. This will be the case for all who believe. While we wait, we have the confidence of our hope in God. This hope will not disappoint, it will pick us up when we are down, and it shows us the road to take, a road to somewhere much better.