The Point of Life

I recently began studying the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s a book of the Bible that’s always intrigued me. Outside of Revelation, I think I’ve heard more takes on interpretation with Ecclesiastes than any other book. So I thought I’d try my newly graduated A.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies mind at it.

The first chapter threw me through a loop. It breaks down a hopeful viewpoint by noting how cyclical and monotonous life is. Not even wisdom is immune to being humbled in that chapter, which was a blow to me as I place a high value on wisdom (perhaps too high a value?). So by the end of my week-long study, I found that life itself was, practically, meaningless.

Solomon expounds on his point in chapter 2. There he gives some first-hand experience. He had it all: wealth, success, women, houses,entertainment,livestock…in short, greatness. And yet none of these things satisfied. Solomon then clarifies his attitude on wisdom and notes that is does have it’s advantages, but ultimately the wise man dies just the same as the foolish one. Finally the king breaks down and despairs over all the labor he’s done and how it ultimately does not profit him and will probably be squandered by the next generation. But he comes to a strange conclusion in vs. 24-26. He notes that despite all this, a “man can do nothing better than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.”

So here’s what I had to wrestle with: Life is seemingly monotonous and pointless. I certainly see this at Wendy’s when I go in every week, work my tail off, and then come back the following week and do it all over again. The question boils down to “why is it worth it? why go on with life when it seems so fruitless?”

Stop reading for a moment and breathe. Breathe in. Breathe in deeply. Now exhale. Did you feel that breath? That is life in you. We can sit around, look at how absurd life is, and then squabble about it or we can follow Solomon to the same conclusion and see that the point is we have life and so we must do something with it. But what? Solomon gives a good starting point: “eat,drink, and find satisfaction” in our work. The point of life is life itself. We can wish away our days pining for something meaningful, or we can do something with the time given to us now. If you follow Christ, time is given even greater significance.

So if you’re wrestling with what the point of life is, remember that life is about life itself and what you do with that life while it still fills your body.

Doubters Anonymous

A popular story from the gospel narratives is that of “Doubting Thomas” (not Tumnus) found in John 20:24-29. It comes shortly after Jesus’ resurrection and first appearance to the disciples as a group. Thomas missed this meeting (for whatever reason;i don’t think it’s safe to speculate on why he wasn’t there) and so heard about it from the other disciples. He refused to believe, citing that only seeing Jesus with his own eyes and sticking his fingers in his Master’s nail-scarred wrists and spear-bludgeoned side would make him believe.

Typically there are two ways that most pastor’s have interpreted this. 1) Thomas is a horrible Christian example because he doubted Christ’s resurrection and the disciple’s testimonies. or 2) he’s some sort of hero because he wasn’t gullible but needed proof before he made a step of faith (this view would obviously be popular in our cynical generation that demands 100% proof for everything). Which interpretation is best? In my professional A.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies opinion, I’d say it’s neither. Let’s breakdown the text a little.

The first interpretation falls through when Jesus appears again with Thomas present. The first words out of His mouth aren’t “Thomas, you low down sinner! Why didn’t you believe?” No, His first words are, “Peace be with you!” (v. 26) I think that’s significant. He’s not necessarily mad at Thomas, He doesn’t give the doubting disciple a good head-banging, He instead pronounces peace to all those present…including Thomas.

Then He addresses Thomas personally and invites the apostle to reach into His side or into the nail prints (gross!). He doesn’t put Thomas off. He wants to reassure his faith and so gives him the honorable invite to have his doubts and suspicions done away with for good. For Thomas’ part, simply seeing Jesus was enough and he declares Him to be Lord and God (v. 28). So interpretation #1 falls through.

Now it may seem like take 2 is the obvious choice. But v. 29 throws that out the window as Jesus gently rebukes Thomas for his doubts. Thomas had to see to believe, but the happier people are those who can’t see Jesus and still believe. Faith triumphs over doubt any day of the week and Jesus extends this challenge that Thomas shouldn’t need to see with his eyes to have faith but should rather “walk by faith and not by sight.”

So what’s the middle ground? How do I define my interpretation? I think from this passage we see that it’s not evil for a Christian to doubt. There will be times of trouble in believing, no doubt about that! But how do we handle that? If someone’s struggling with doubts, what do we tell them? If I’m having doubts, what do I tell myself?

I think, first off all, we need to realize that Jesus is willing to work with us. He didn’t cast out Thomas because the guy had a black moment. He gave him the opportunity to make up for it, to work through the questions filling his mind. But I also think, secondly, that we should not revel in our doubts. Rob Bell seems to enjoy doing this. Today’s generation enjoys raising all the questions we can until we have no clue what we were originally questioning. This is unhealthy Christianity. Why seek out doubts when they’ll undoubtedly come up on their own? Remember that it is more joyous to “walk by faith and not by sight.”

I also think we need to keep the gospel in view. The closing verses of chapter 20 give John’s reason for writing the gospel. So that we might believe. When we struggle with doubts, let’s keep the gospel front and center. It was written for our faith’s sake, so let’s indulge ourselves. That said, it’s okay to doubt but don’t float among the grey clouds for long. Find a safe landing in faith in Christ.

⁸Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.–1 Peter 1:8-9

The Mystery of Mercy

I had this odd moment last week. The weather system that had been causing tornado trouble in Kansas, Oklahoma, and so on had finally made its way to the Kentucky area. Of course, the weathermen all sounded like Harold Camping proclaiming the end of the world was imminent. Admittedly, I was scared. What if a tornado touches down on my street? What if my house, and everything in it, is wiped out? What if I’m wiped out?

So I went to bed that night waiting for the monstrous system to pull into town. I had a weather radio and candle ready and kept my sandals by my bed. If I had to make a sudden run to the basement, I wanted to be ready. I fell asleep shortly before midnight and a half hour later I awoke to loud booms of thunder and bright flashes of lightning. My heart pounded a hole in my chest (not literally, mind you). When would it come? When would I hear the sirens? the “train sounds” of the tornado? Should I run to the basement or just stay there and die?…

And then I had an apostrophe…i mean, epiphany. If a tornado came and sucked me to my doom, I totally deserved it. Why? Because I’m a sinner? well yes. But i know I’m saved by grace through Jesus Christ. So I didn’t necessarily think that just being a common sinner warranted death by cyclone. What would warrant such an end would be that I, a Christian committed to Jesus, strays so often from the faith I hold dear. I am so unfaithful to my God…i’m like a dog returning to its vomit..like a lecherous man going back to his whore.

With all my daily screw-ups, with all my daily sins, with all my cries for forgiveness and protection followed by my wanderings off the narrow path, for all my love of rebellion, why would God remain faithful to me? Why does He show me mercy when I deserve to be killed? He’s the One who found me in the gutter and brought me to His own home. So when I keep sneaking out at night to return there, why doesn’t He just leave me to my ways? cut me off? cancel the adoption?

Because that’s the mystery of mercy, love, grace, and hope. Even though I know what’s right and struggle time and again to do it, God gives me another chance…because He doesn’t just see me in my imperfections..He sees Jesus in His untarnished perfection. And so, a tornado didn’t whisk me away to darkness…but a storm startled in me an awe of the power and holiness of God mingled perfectly with love and mercy.