Readings for today: Ecclesiastes 1-6
I recently had a conversation with one of my kids where they shared their desire to be remembered. We were walking off the USS Missouri having spent the last couple of hours reading through all the history associated with that particular ship. I think they were deeply impacted by all the stories they read and the life histories of some of the sailors who served and sacrificed and they found themselves drawn to something deeper. A desire for significance. A desire for something more out of this life than the pursuit of pleasure or wealth or fame or influence. It was an interesting conversation on a number of levels. This is a kid who has chased the vanity of pleasure. The vanity of wealth. The vanity of self-indulgence. This is a kid who has come to the end of those things pretty quickly, all things considered, and has discovered the truth of what Solomon shares with us today. “All is vanity and a striving after wind.” (Ecc. 1:14) It is cool to have a front row seat as they grow and mature and think deeply about the meaning of life.
The Book of Ecclesiastes is a challenging read. Solomon pulls no punches as he names the idols of our lives. The pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. The pursuit of self-indulgence and pleasure. The pursuit of living responsibly and hard work. The pursuit of wealth and honor. All these pursuits ultimately end in dust. A generation comes and a generation goes and the hard reality is that all of us are forgotten so quickly. How many of us actually know much about our great-grandparents? How many of us can even recall their names off the tops of our heads? What about our grandparents? How many of us know their stories? It’s sobering to think about how quickly and easily we forget. Surely Solomon is right. Only the earth remains forever. There is no remembrance of former things. There will be no remembrance of later things. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.
And yet, do we not all long to be remembered? Is there not something deep inside all of us that longs for such recognition? Not out of pride but simply out of desire to not be forgotten? Solomon is clear that God has set eternity in each person’s heart and I believe this longing is a reflection of that truth. When my child tells me they want to be remembered, they are tapping into a longing God has placed deep within them. It’s a good desire, even a godly one. And the glorious truth is when we fear God - which is where Solomon ultimately lands - and we live our lives for Him, all our works follow us. They endure throughout eternity. Though the memories of human beings are short, God’s memory is long. He will not forget what we have done. He will not forget what we have sacrificed. He will not forget what we have accomplished. I love how Revelation 14:13 puts it, “I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”
So back to my conversation with my kid. As we walked off the ship, we talked at length about the people we do remember and why we remember them. Typically, it’s because they’ve made a great sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves. The men and women who served over the years on the USS Missouri gave their lives for the cause of freedom. They fought against tyranny and injustice. The same is true for those who died on the USS Arizona which we visited later that day. The same is true for the martyrs I’ve met and prayed with in the Horn of Africa. Men and women who willingly give their lives to spread the gospel. And the same is true for me. It is highly unlikely I will be asked to become a martyr for my faith. At the same time, does not Christ command me to lay my life down daily for His sake? In this way, are not all Christians called to a life of sacrifice to a cause greater than ourselves? The cause of the Kingdom?
Readings for tomorrow: Ecclesiastes 7-12