Part 4: Contemplating in Crises
The other day I read an article on CBC stating that “Mental illness will be (the) ‘next wave’ of (the) COVID-19 pandemic, according to epidemiologists, because of people being in prolonged isolation. Consequently, I am staying on the topic of mental illness. It can be such a taboo topic to many people, even Christians, but it is nevertheless important that we speak and be open about it. “We very speedily care for bodily diseases; they are too painful to let us slumber in silence; and they soon urge us to seek a physician or a surgeon for our healing. Oh, if we were as much alive to the more serious wounds of our inner man” - wise words from 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon. All of us know what to do or who to call if our bodies get sick, but what do we do when our minds are unwell?
As we are stripped of many things, being confined to our respective homes during lockdown, perhaps without a job or any physical human interaction, we can start to feel that we have no purpose, that we are perhaps completely alone, that no one really cares for us – that is when depression can really ‘settle down’ in our minds, and suicide becomes a tempting thought. It is my prayer that perhaps I can help you see, through the perspective of the preacher in Ecclesiastes, that there is one thing that can give us true meaning and purpose in life.
As I said in my previous article, dark times or periods of suffering can be opportunities to draw closer to our Creator. Being by yourself, alone with your own thoughts, can bring you to ask these significant questions about life: Where do we come from? Where are we going to when we die? Why are we here? Who or what am I? Do you have assuring answers to all of these questions?
The preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes asked similar questions. We are not a hundred percent sure who the author was, but we’re assuming that it was King Solomon, reflecting on life in his twilight years. References such as “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecc 1:1), draw us to that conclusion.
The book starts in the following way:
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.”
With what busyness do we go about life, chasing after this and that, from sunrise to sunset. And at the end of the day, is it all worth it? Is it meaningful at all? Or does it come to nothing? Throughout the book the preacher is on a contemplative journey to figure out if there is anything that gives true meaning and purpose to life.
As Solomon was indeed a very wise man, he wondered if wisdom could be the one thing giving meaning to life, but towards the end of chapter 1, we see that “this also is vexation of spirit” (Ecc 1:17).
Next, the preacher thought about pleasure and self-indulgence. Those with access to Netflix have an almost endless variety of movies or shows to watch, and I’m sure some people might be binge-watching in this time. I have also seen a surge of new recipes and “Do-It-Yourself” or craft video’s online. While we can definitely gain momentary pleasure from entertainment, food or hobbies, does it truly give us meaning in life? The preacher realized that this too “was vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecc 2:11).
At the end of chapter 2, the preacher looked towards his “toil” – we can translate this into today’s time by thinking of our careers. Surely this is something that gives meaning to our lives, isn’t it? After all, some of us slave away at it 24/7 to support our families or to receive a special promotion. But, alas! Nothing that we gain from our careers can we take into our graves or beyond – “…there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil” (Ecc 2:21).
This brings us to the crux of the matter. The preacher interrupts his journey in chapter 3 with a haunting poem about the futility of life…everything has a beginning and an end – “…a time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecc 3:2). Everyone dies; those who live good lives, as well as those who live evil lives. Whether it be from COVID-19, cancer, a car accident or simply old age. The clock is ticking! Is there anything that lasts forever? Perhaps that is where meaning can be found.
In the first article of this series, I mentioned that death always shocks and surprises us, even though it is a normal part of life. The preacher tells us why in chapter 3, verse 11: “…he (God) has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (ESV)
Every single one of us has this gnawing ache in our hearts that we were made for something bigger, perhaps for another place, another life, that this can not be the end. God placed that ache in our hearts to show us that we can only ever find true meaning and satisfaction in God Himself. “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him” (Ecc 3:14 KJV).
It is true – we were ultimately made for another place and another life; to spend eternity with Jesus and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in the New Heavens and New Earth. But that doesn’t make our earthly lives pointless. The preacher even said on numerous occasions that “…there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” (Ecc 3:12-13).
We are allowed to enjoy food, movies, books, entertainment, art, sports, our jobs, our studies – God gave them to us as gifts, after all – but it is not what gives us true meaning and purpose in life. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”(Ecc 12:1); “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13). We were made for God; to be in relationship with Him and to enjoy Him and share Him with others. If we miss this, we miss our whole life, and we forfeit eternity.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 KJV
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 KJV
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 KJV
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 KJV
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 KJV
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."