: "The seemingly mundane and tedious tasks of daily living can very easily trigger feelings of despondency and despair, particularly in the absence of a viable social or spiritual support system. We have even coined a phrase to describe such a state of affairs: “the daily grind.” When we ask people how they are doing it is not unusual to hear them sigh and mutter under their breath in resignation: “same-old, same-old.” Such perceived purposelessness and loss of control can easily be a precursor for suicidal inclinations. The grip of a Sisyphus-like syndrome can be overwhelming and unnerving. In the midst of his grueling trial after he had lost all his children and his property and was afflicted by boils all over his body, Job’s life seemed to have completely lost all its meaning. In his pain, he cursed the day he was born (Job 3:1). Life can be brutal. It has a tendency to play cruel jokes on us, sometimes. Philosophers such as Albert Camus spent a significant portion of their careers trying to analyze the meaning of life in order to convince themselves that their own lives were not absurd. Puzzled by the meaningless monotony and lonesomeness of his own life, the renowned novelist, Thomas Wolfe, finally concluded that far from being a rare and curious experience of a select few, loneliness is actually the inevitable element of all human existence. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes presents us with two graphic panoramic views of life on earth. One is an earthbound view, or life as it appears under the sun. The second is a spiritual view, or a believer’s insight about life lived for God. Ecclesiastes is a thought-provoking and compelling book. From a secular perspective the book exposes the emptiness of human existence. This viewpoint posits that the path of life is not only arduous, but its destination is vacuous. This outlook exudes a brooding, cynical and nihilistic aura. The phrases “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity”, “The living know that they will die and the dead know not anything, neither have they any reward; for the memory of them is forgotten,” (Ecclesiastes 9:5), “The sun also rises and the sun sets…” (Ecclesiastes 1:5) all add a fatalistic and pathological helplessness. There is a tone of cyclical hopelessness to the earthbound outlook to life as if all life on earth, including human life, is a mere transitory vapor which disappears into nothingness with the passage of time, and that mankind is a mere blimp on the radar of a vast indifferent universe. But a proper contextual scrutiny of the entire treatise repudiates the pessimism and negativity underlying some of the expressions in the book. Actually the book recommends diligence in responsibilities. It encourages a benevolent attitude toward others. The author also reminds us that in this seemingly hopeless situation there is a transcendent moral government, which oversees the affairs of this world. This gives the reader hope and dispels any vestiges of cynical despair. Ecclesiastes presents two alternative aspects of life. After carefully reflecting and observing the emptiness of the real world under the sun, and life outside of faith in God, the author makes a final conclusion by recommending a life of faith in God. “Fear God and keep his commandments. This is the conclusion of the whole matter,” he exclaims. In order for us to make a positive difference in this world and to live a life that counts, the place to begin is with our Creator God; otherwise everything will indeed be vanity of vanities…" -a devotional by Dr. Reigh Simuzoshya
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 03:07:31 +0000
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