In Chapter 6 of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher, whom many consider to be King Solomon, now turns to comparing a dissatisfied life of a wealthy person to the inexperienced life of a stillborn child. The wealthy person who has been blessed with goods does not enjoy them and he might have a vast family but then at the point of death, he does not receive a proper burial. The Teacher concludes that this person is no better than a stillborn child who never experienced the struggles of life but will experience eternity. Certainly for many good life is measured by the size of family and the size of wealth. We all, if pushed to the wall, would probably consider the triple digit income more desirable than welfare.
The Teacher, though, is talking about someone who would have been considered wealthy by Old Testament standards. The book of Job is a lesson for all of us as we see his wealth and family wiped out. Friends arrive to grieve with him and engage in a conversation about the causes of suffering. I suppose the unwritten story behind blessings of the wealthy is that this person managed wealth wisely and was a good provider for the large family. In Kenya where poligamy was practiced, it was not uncommon to hear that someone was the 27th child and a child of the third wife. Children were needed to care for the cattle and the fields. Poligamony was ok. Besides this, all citizens were considered the children of the President or King. I was once severely reprimanded when I asked a woman in the village how many children she had. The room became silent as it was explained to me that children were a gift from God and you would not ask an American how much money was in their bank account and you DO NOT ask how many children a woman has. It might be similar to King David sending Joab to count how many eligible soldiers David had in his kingdom. So again the Teacher is not speaking to size of wealth but to the ability to appreciate and be satisfied.
The phrase that caught my eye in reading and rereading this chapter was the phrase that the wealthy person “does not receive a proper burial.” I’ve noticed on my return to the States that many of my aging friends are in groups that have “a memorial service” when a loved one dies, whereas I am part of a group that has “a funeral service,” with open mic during the reception for people to share fond memories. I think there is no right or wrong way to do this tradition. But I do think it raises the question of asking ourselves how we would like to be remembered when that day comes. Do we want our orbituary to read like our resume? Or what character traits would we like our friends and family to remember about us? Let’s take a moment and write down three characteristics we would like our life to be remembered for.
Lord, help us to continue to grow in these areas and to value the relationships we have more than the tasks we seek to accomplish. May we have an attitude of gratitude for your blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 