Day Two of this journey has me musing on two more sections from Ecclesiastes. Today I am tackling Chapter Two, verses 3 and verses 24-26.
First, Ecclesiastes 2:3 says, “I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.” This question about meaning is one that I have seen expressed in several contexts. Most recently, I saw it expressed in a 1998 German film entitled, Run Lola Run. The film’s question is around the idea of fate, chance, meaning, and the effects our choices make, all under the pressure of a deadline that has deadly consequences when unmet. As I end my experience in seminary, I am reflecting on the meaning of my last three years of study. My brother graduates in 90 minutes – he is asking the same question. Many of my friends find themselves in a similar place – “what is the meaning in my life? Why am I doing what I do? Is this really what I feel my life is supposed to be about?”
Second, Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 reads, “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
In Chapter 2 and especially these verses, the writer of Ecclesiastes raises the reality of death as the great equalizer for all of our lives. Death comes to us all. Our lives are moving forward and meaning is like the wind, impossible to grasp. The more and I read this book, the more and more I am tempted toward resigning myself to the depressing reality of my life’s brevity on this planet. However, like the writer here, I am reminded that I must maintain in tension the reality of life’s meaning and value amidst death, “God giv(ing) wisdom, knowledge, and happiness”. Our ability to enjoy the fruit of our work or the blessing of relationships with our family and friends is a gift from God. Every time we raise our glasses to toast, every time we break bread in a celebration meal, every time we sit back and take a deep breath knowing that our work is done in a project – we have the opportunity to recognize God’s hand and presence in our lives.
This book is all about tension and I am learning to lean deep within both of these realities.
-Scott
Interesting… when I read Ecclesiastes, I find it takes away the tension. It’s all meaningless… there’s no worth in the things I plan for and hope for and strive for in this world, because this world is temporary. Verse 24 (along with 3:13, and 9:7-9, and 11:10) is probably my favorite in the book (and definitely ranks as a top one in The Book), because it lays it out right there. We can do nothing better than eat, drink, and find satisfaction in our work. And we can only truly find enjoyment in these things through God. There is no tension, no wrestling.
Of course we need to plan, but when we live in the moment, in the day-to-day, when we allow ourselves to truly be led by the Holy Spirit… then, I think, we are closer to true freedom. We let ourselves get pulled in by all the saving and planning and dreaming, and at the end of the day, we’re frustrated because it either didn’t happen the way we wanted, or didn’t happen at all. Or, we end up prideful because WE planned it, WE helped make it happen. Maybe I’m just generalizing my own thoughts and feelings, but I imagine I’m not the only one who faces that particular sin. But if we can take the message from Ecclesiastes and aim to live in the moment, it might allow God to take over the rest.
Scott,
During my first graduation from college all I could think of is which lucky company that is going to hire me. In reality what I heard was you don’t have experience, work for next to nothing until you get experiences, or we hired someone with experience. Needless to say any many years later the reality of what is the meaning of life kicked in…just like my dad said they would.
Child: I’m too innocent to worry about the meaning of life
Juvenile Too selfish to worry about the meaning of life
College: In what book do I find the meaning of life?
25 – 40: Too busy surviving to worry about the meaning of life
Over 50: You figure it out…I’m more worried about how much life I have left.
I smile because I’m in that over 50 crowd and never did figure out the meaning of life and now am working on the meaning of afterlife. Wonder for a moment…where do you find the answers? So as the next generation worries about the ozone, green house affect, depleting resources, I’ll be long gone without the real answers to life…or maybe I should have put my childish things away earlier.
Michael