Meditation for June 11, 2008
From The Rev. Peter A. Munson
Ecclesiastes 8: 12-13; 9:11-18
12 Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him, 13 but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded."
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.
Why Do We Do Certain Things?
Julia and I were talking about the rich and famous the other day. There have always been the "ultra-rich" - those who are on a whole different playing field, when it comes to income and wealth. What has changed in recent history is that we can all be instantly aware of what these people are doing - taking their private jet to the islands for the weekend, spending $2 million on a wedding, etc. The grocery store magazines are full of these exploits. "X and Y's Secret Wedding!", screams the headline. If it was so secret, why were the magazine's photographers there, and why are their wedding photos on the cover of People magazine? And that doesn't even begin to measure how quickly we can access this kind of thing on the internet, on cable television, or even through our omni-present cell phones. If we focus too much attention on this stuff, our perspective can get all out of whack. We become disappointed in what we don't have, and forget all that we do have. We wish we could get rich instantly. Teenaged children begin to think that starting out at a minimum-wage job is almost not worth their effort. We can be tempted to think that we are not worthy if we do not become famous. We can lose track of bedrock values like hard work, perseverance, fidelity, stewardship, service, loyalty, compassion, and doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing,
The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes spent a lot of time observing what was going on in his own day and age. Some of the famous refrains in this book of the Bible are that so much of life is "vanity" and "chasing after wind", and that there is "nothing to be gained under the sun." (See, for example, Ecclesiastes 1:17, 2:1, 2:11, 2:26)
We live in a culture that inundates us with certain messages:
Buy, buy, buy - be a consumer above all else! Forget thoughts about being a responsible citizen.
Focus a lot of time and energy on how you look.
Look out for #1 - yourself.
Work all the time. Be busy and productive. Resting isn't allowed, because it's not productive. Never slow down and reflect on your life.
The parents who enroll their children in the most activities win! Exhaust yourself driving your kids everywhere, because boredom is the #1 sin of all time, and Lord knows, your children should never be bored!
Sunday is another day, just like every other day.
Though you have to wade through a lot of "vanity" in the book of Ecclesiastes, though we sigh to ourselves when we read, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded..." (9:16), and we think, "So true, so true..", it is also true that if you read the book carefully, you realize that the writer is saying it's worth it to live life in the right way. "Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear [awe] before him." (8:12) The writer ends the book this way: "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Eccles. 12:13-14)
In the end, it comes down to this question. Are we doing things to impress other people, and to be recognized by them, or do we do certain things because they come forth from our relationship with God, and because we believe God wants us to do those things?
I am reminded of certain sections from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - familiar to us as Episcopalians because we hear them read every year on Ash Wednesday.
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites [actors] do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. [Don't invite the photographers from People to be there.] But when you give alms, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:2-4)
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites [actors]; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others... But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:5-6)
"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites [actors], for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting... But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-18)
I wonder if Jesus returned today, if cable TV reporters and magazine editors would consider him to be a boring interview. It doesn't matter what they think, though, does it? If you're looking for a Lord who you can trust... if you're looking for a Savior who can save you from this stupid rat race that many consider to be such a wonderful thing... if you're looking for meaningful relationships and purpose and real abundance, not Madison Avenue abundance, then He is the one to follow, because only God can take us where we most need to be - beyond the vanity, beyond the acting and the "putting on appearances", beyond the chasing after wind, to that place where we are loved and appreciated for being authentic, compassionate children of God.