“Now
all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his
commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV)
He was dead now. One, who was very close to
her had departed life aged only 38 years. Now she was seated at the sea shore
watching the waves roll in - one after the other – only to with the same
regular rhythm return to sea. Life’s meaningless was unmistakable. He, who had
been just as real and full of life as the glitter of the sun in the distant
water’s depth, was no more, – ”The tides
of time come, the tides of time fade. Relatives follow the relatives’ demise.”
The words of the Psalm echoed in her inner being and the waves became tides of
time and of generations. Her small children frolicked in the shallows but her
inner being screamed of emptiness and the absence of meaning. Why should he die
and she and her family be allowed to live? The pain wanted to draw her to the
ground – toward; under the ground…
I believe that
all who have experienced death up close have had similar thoughts. For Solomon
- the writer of Ecclesiastes - life’s emptiness and meaningless is well known.
The entire focus of Ecclesiastes is life’s meaninglessness. Ecclesiastes seeks
for meaning in all of the areas life offers; wealth, pleasure, food and drink,
sex and careers. But the conclusion is that life is meaningless – if God isn’t
present! Consequently, Ecclesiastes lands squarely as today’s reading: Fear God and keep his commandments!
Prayer
God my Father, Jesus my Savior. Holy Spirit
my Helper – You are the Meaning. From You, through You, and to You I am. Lead
me today on Your path.
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