On the Way to Wonder

Ecclesiastes 12: 2-7

The Teacher now paints an endearing picture of our aging bodies.  He has just advised his readers to enjoy their youth while they can, before the years come when we “find no pleasure in them,” “the days of trouble.”  Let’s look at The Message’s phrasing.

1-2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.

3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.
Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.
The shades are pulled down on the world.
You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.
The hum of the household fades away.
You are wakened now by bird-song.
Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.
Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.
Your hair turns apple-blossom white,
Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.
Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,
While your friends make plans for your funeral.

6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.

8 It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke.
The Quester says that everything’s smoke.

As an elder, I must admit that my physical strengths are declining.  Vision and hearing are not so sharp but the impact of words like “thank you,” and “I love you” still touch me deeply.  I love hugs.  I’m not as strong but I enjoy sitting with a grieving friend and sitting and listening to my kids report in.  Listening is a blessing I can give.  The freedom to have a more relaxed schedule after years of work, is great.  Yes, I prefer to work out in a gym where there are people around to help if I fall but I can plug in a book and peddle away or watch the TV or enjoy the youth around me.  I love waking early to the sunrise…and I have the time to enjoy its beauty cause I’m not racing off to work.  I agree with the Teacher that life is precious and it passes too soon especially when loved ones go ahead.  I would not wish them to linger longer in failing bodies just to keep me company.  My friends and I thank God that we can enjoy seeing our kids and grandkids grow and truly we also have the time to pray for those we fear are wayward. We know the time ahead is smaller than the time behind us.  Life seems to pass like smoke but it is also true that when we pass we  are comforted to know we have an eternity with God.

Let us take a few moments to thank God for the years we have been given and thank God for the forgiveness we have been granted.

12 Remember your Creator

    in the days of your youth,

before the days of trouble come

    and the years approach when you will say,

    “I find no pleasure in them”—

Ecclesiastes 12:1

We have finally reached the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, supposedly written by “the Teacher” who is believed to be King Solomon, son of King David.  Solomon prayed to God for wisdom when he took over David’s kingship as he realized he was young and not the first of David’s sons to try to succeed David.  Solomon has compared wisdom and folly in life.  He sees in the circle of life  a redundancy that makes life feel meaningless.  He realizes the rich and the poor, the wise and the foolish, the talented and the untalented all die.  So what’s the point?  He ponders how all that is worked for during life, is left to someone who may squander it and that leaves him feeling empty.  Chapter three has the famous verses about there being a time for everything and its opposite in life.  He continues weighing his left hand of folly against his right hand of wisdom.  Life feels like smoke that clouds our vision so we can only focus on that near us and we cannot get perspective of the big picture.  Today he advises enjoying life when we are young before we age and start carrying responsibility and before we enter old age when our strengths begin to decline and our pleasures may be more sedentary and our spouses or agemates start dying.

My husband and I liked on anniversaries to make a list of what was one of our favorite blessings for each decade of our life.  What was our favorite song or game or friend in our single digit years, our teens, our twenties and so on.  Take time to list the decades of your life and a favorite memory from that decade that blessed you.  Perhaps it was a friend, or a job, or a trip. Perhaps you have a friend you could share your list with.  Now thank God for those experiences.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 (The Message)

7-8 Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days
And that most of what comes your way is smoke.

9 You who are young, make the most of your youth.
Relish your youthful vigor.
Follow the impulses of your heart.
If something looks good to you, pursue it.
But know also that not just anything goes;
You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.

10 Live footloose and fancy-free—
You won’t be young forever.
Youth lasts about as long as smoke.

The Teacher takes on a bit of a lighter tone now.  The Message translates the word “meaningless” as “smoke.”  I like that.  So many of the events of our life that seem so random are like smoke that clouds our vision for a moment and does not allow us to see the big picture.  It reminds of that song we used to warble, “Smoke Get’s in Your Eyes.”  We think we are in love and friends try to convince us of our folly and we chase the relationship but then when it doesn’t work out we hang our head and say, “smoke gets in your eyes.” 

 The Teacher points out that we rejoice with the bright and sunny days but we should never forget that we will have our share of dark and cloudy days.  He warns that we should enjoy our youth and live life to the fullness but never forget that God is watching and we will someday answer to him.  As an elder I must agree that “youth lasts about as long as smoke.”  At 10 I could hardly wait to be a teenager and 21 seemed forever away when I could drink, drive, vote and be happy ever after.  My forty-four year old mother was ancient.  Now I look back and thank God for the good memories and I am thankful for forgiveness for the follies of youth.

One of my favorite sayings I learned in Kenya was often used at the opening of church services.  “Many longed to see today and did not.  Let us thank God for bringing us here today.”  In the midst of all the challenges facing us today, let us take a moment to thank God for three blessings that have been more than passing smoke and that give you hope for the future.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
    or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
    the Maker of all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

I don’t know about you, but tonight I and many Americans are watching the news as people seek to sort through the events of yesterday and the attempted assignation of former President Trump.  We started yesterday as a hopefully normal Saturday but by evening a friend texted me the news about the event.  Some of you, I know, had your own vigils as you sat by loved ones declining, had to go to work, or encountered your own trials.  Truly we do not know the “path of the wind,” the twists and turns of the day before us.  The Teacher reminds us that we may hear the scientific explanation about the formation of the fetus but we still cannot agree on the point when “life” enters.  We cannot understand the beginning of life nor events that almost marked the end of a life yesterday. The wind is also a word to speak of the moving of the Holy Spirit.  We really don’t understand that either.

 We can investigate the impacting factors but ultimately we realize our lives are fragile and we bow our heads in humility tonight realizing that violence and death is never a productive conclusion.  Freedom of speech cannot be silenced with a gun shot.  People we disagree with will never end and killing one does not solve anything.

The Teacher goes on in verse six to advise us, 

“Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end.”  

Since we do not know how the Spirit is moving or what will impact another’s spirit, may we always be found doing good to the best of our ability.  Let us pray for those grieving tonight, those scared, and all those searching for answers to make our lives more secure.  Lord be with our security forces, our doctors and our leaders as we head into this political season.  Lord, have mercy.

by Henry Francis Lyte @ 1820

Tomorrow’s Gospel text will tell of the beheading of John the Baptist.  An insecure king, to please his step daughter who was pleasing her mother, and he, from fear of looking foolish in front of his guests, grants the girl’s demand for John’s head to be presented on a silver platter.  It is a horrible story of injustice.  John was Jesus’ cousin, was considered one of the humblest people alive, and had faithfully preached truth to power.  Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense.

We may not be in a lonely cell block awaiting beheading but we may be watching the political news wringing our hands and pondering where God is in all this.  We may be keeping vigil with loved ones declining inch by inch with dementia. We may be silently loving people we care about caught in alcohol or drugs or rebellion.  We may be praying for loved ones trapped in countries torn apart by war.  Whatever our situation we know life is not always fair.  

And so I come back to this beloved hymn I have highlighted before.  I love the word “abide.”  It’s archaic so carries a bit more weight as it slows me down to think how abiding is slightly different than asking God to sit awhile or stay awhile with me.  Somehow “abide” speaks to me of love and comfort and compassion.  Perhaps this is a good song for you to sit with for a moment as you anticipate tomorrow…or the events of today.  Blessings.

3 If clouds are full of water,
    they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
    whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Ecclesiastes 11:3-4

Some verses in the Bible just grab at my mind and make me laugh.  This is one of them.  I can envision a giant redwood toppling and of course it will lie where it has fallen.  That seems obvious.  So what is the Teacher trying to tell me?  The Message translates vs 4, “Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.”  Chapter 10 verse10 of Ecclesiastes adds to this image of a falling tree, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.”

  Most of us are not lumberjacks nor are we rich enough to have trees on our property that need to be cut.  But I have lived in tornado areas and during one such event, I gasped as my son ran out the front door as I was herding everyone downstairs.  At that moment the neighbor’s tree fell and missed him by a hair.  Another time we left our youngest to go to the college graduation of another.  A tornado went through the neighborhood wiping out 1,000 trees in six minutes.  The whole horizon changed.  And then, of course, I love the Ents, the talking trees, in Lord of the Rings.

Those tornados changed my world with the removal of the trees’ silent vigil in my neighborhood.  Life just did not look normal for a long time.  Roots ripped apart sidewalks and shade was no longer available.  Perhaps the Teacher is trying to tell us that there are those things that seem permanent in our lives, that decorate and protect us and we often take them for granted-like the trees.  But when they fall, there they lie, and life is not the same afterwards.  Perhaps there are some “trees” in your life that you need to thank God for today.

The removal of trees clears property for planting crops.  Sometimes we need to remove the things in our lives that indeed serve a purpose but there comes a time when we need to “repurpose” and redefine the space those trees claim.  On the down side is the thought of making a decision to stop bad habits like alcohol that have helped us make it through the day. But we need to be uproot those bad habits and face a new future we want to build.  I have a friend going through detox now and it is hard to uproot that tree of alcohol that has such deep roots in the person’s life.  This same uprooting takes place during transition times.  I remember leaving dear friends in the house we shared as I moved into marriage.  Those were good days as a single that needed to change when I married.

When the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, the work is hard.  When we allow our tools for survival to become rusty and unsharpened, we struggle. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  Friends that care enough to say the truth in love are axes to be valued.

So today let’s thank God for those things in our lives that are like redwoods, silently blessing our lives.  But Lord help us be honest about those trees that need to be cleared from our lives for the new blessing you have for us.  And thank you Lord for those who care enough to speak the truth so we keep our axes sharp.  Thank you, Lord.

16-17Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup,
And whose princes party all night.
Lucky the land whose king is mature,
Where the princes behave themselves
And don’t drink themselves silly.

Ecclesiastes 10: 16-17 (The Message)

The Teacher now turns to wisdom and folly in government.  He juxtaposes a young, inexperienced king to a mature king and immature government officials who love the partying lifestyle vs those who are serious in doing work.  Sigh!!!  Today we are wrestling not with the question of youth but the question of age.  I think that the Teacher, most think to be King Solomon,  was perhaps reflecting on his beginnings as king.  Solomon was famous because in the Temple God appeared and asked him what he would request.  Solomon acknowledged his youth and lack of experience to rule God’s people and asked for the gift of wisdom.  God was very pleased with this request and indeed Solomon was known for his wisdom.

Today let us pray for wisdom for our leaders in government.  May they not be driven by desire for power or partying.  May they be surrounded by wise advisors.  May we be able to be discerning as we listen to all the opinions on the news.  May we put the best construction on all that we hear and pass along.  Lord, have mercy.

12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,

    but fools are consumed by their own lips.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

The words of a wise person are full of grace, are gracious.  Let’s ponder that.  I first think of the explanation to the 8th commandment, 

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God, so that we do not lie about, betray or slander our neighbor, but excuse him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything. (Martin Luther)

I like one of the internet’s definition of grace as “courteous goodwill.”  It might mean that the person looks for the good in another rather than finding faults and weakness.  It could mean refusing to pass along gossip that is not proven and not helpful. Lies twist the truth for destruction but gracious words seek to build and enhance the good in another.

As a young adult, a wise person advised me that when I woke each morning, I spend 5 minutes saying “thank you” prayers. I try to avoid the “give-me” prayers but indeed I spend a fair share of time reminding God my concerns about this and that.  Spending time using my words to praise others or God is always an encouraging experience.  During this political season when it is so easy to find the faults in the other candidate, it is easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future.  Lord, help us to speak well of others and put the best construction on everything!

10 Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, a small mistake can outweigh much wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart leads him to do right, and a fool’s heart leads him to do evil. 3 You can identify a fool just by the way he walks down the street!

4 If the boss is angry with you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit will quiet his bad temper.

5 There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by, a sad situation concerning kings and rulers: 6 For I have seen foolish men given great authority and rich men not given their rightful place of dignity! 7 I have even seen servants riding, while princes walk like servants!

Ecclesiastes 10:1-7, The Living Bible

Flip flops are those cheap rubber sandles with a divider between the toes.  I think they got their name from the sound they make as you walk along.  “Flip flop” can also refer to things being turned upside down and so resulting in the opposite of what was intended.  The Teacher is still comparing wisdom and foolishness but showing how a little foolishness can flip flop a situation and overturn a wise plan.  Beautiful perfume stinks because of dead flies.  The perfume’s value is turned upside down. Today the Teacher adds verse 6 and remembers meeting a foolish man having authority while the rich man who has demonstrated his ability to handle money, is not honored.  A servant rides a horse and a prince walks.  That is a flip flop from what we would expect.

I suspect sometimes we think of a foolish person as a stupid person and a wise person as someone who is smart.  But biblically these words are not related to IQ, intelligence.  In verse 2 the Teacher defines wisdom as the person who follows what is right, what is revealed by God, and the fool chooses to follow evil, not following God’s leading, perhaps following the person’s own foolish desires.  I suspect we all recognize the scenario.  I know I shouldn’t eat that cake because of diabetes or weight but I convince myself I’ll exercise later or get back on the diet tomorrow.  That is my sink hole but the decisions we make can be far more devastating and flip flop our lives.  I think of those dating choices to be popular.  Then we might be tempted to fudge on income tax returns but get called in to the IRS.  Ooops. Those white lies which might seem innocent can bring disaster.

So what helps us be wise? What helps us to choose wise alternatives?  Partly we have to ask ourselves if we are growing in our knowledge of God’s will or do we like to listen to others tell us what they think.  Wise friends are always something to be valued.  And then let me add the African proverb we learned on first arriving in Kenya, “Haraka, haraka, haina baraka.”  Hurry, hurry has. no blessing.  Lord, guard us from the tyranny of the urgent and help us to take a deep breath, sit back and choose your way as we make decisions today.

4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,

    do not leave your post;

    calmness can lay great offenses to rest.

Ecclesiastes 10:4

We ended last week thinking about the verses at the beginning of Ecclesiastes chapter 10 and the Teacher warning us about dead flies spoiling good perfume and fools walking on the side of the road and not paying attention.  Is there a thread between those verses and the Teacher’s next reflection about an upset boss?  It feels to me as I read it that the person involved feels innocent of doing anything wrong.  That makes me think that the fly of gossip or false accusation flew into the perfume of his good work and messed everything up.  The person feels misunderstood.  I think we can all identify with that.

I have a vivid childhood memory of my father giving my mother a new iron skillet for Christmas.  My father was delighted because it was such a practical and needed gift to make cooking easier for my mother.  My mother was not happy and we could all see the disappointment on her face and in the sharp response of her mouth.  It did not escalate into an accusation conversation as my father somehow soothed my mother’s feathers.  Misunderstandings are like that.  There is some lie hidden under the surface of the event that leads to false interpretations of motives.  The Teacher advises against fleeing, against denial, and advises that we stay calm and continue doing our job responsibly.

In Proverbs 15:1 Solomon advises, “A gentle answer turns away wrath and a harsh word stirs up anger.” This week we will probably all have the opportunity to remind ourselves to think twice and count to ten before we respond with a quick answer.  May we remember that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Lord we pray for those in our political arena now whose lives are coming under public inspection, we pray for those struggling in relationships struggling with misunderstanding, and may we all guard our mouths,  stay calm and be responsible in our duties.  We need your help.