One certainty in an uncertain world

When I was in graduate school at Gonzaga University a few years ago, I was asked to read a book by sociologist Zugmunt Bauman called "Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty." He wrote a series of books over 10 years using the term "liquid" to describe the risk, fear and uncertainty of current global actions and confrontations. As I re-read the small book, I was struck with his observation of how institutions and social forms are decomposing faster than it takes to cast them. This observation was not made in the past five months but 10 years ago. If his ideas were abstract then, COVID-19 and the public and private response to it suddenly made Bauman's observations seem very real.

I must admit, I don't know which is worse, COVID-19 or our public and private responses to it. One thing the virus has brought out in us is our inability to agree on what to do. I think that this may be a good thing because we really do take ourselves too seriously. A little humility, well maybe a lot of humility is in order. Our certainty in ourselves is ultimately misplaced. This brings me to "The Preacher," Ecclesiastes or Qohelet.

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13–14

These words best sum up the concept of vanity that the Preacher emphasizes in the book of Ecclesiastes – fleeting and perplexing. Even the greatest achievements and successes of life are "vanity and a striving after wind" (Eccl. 2:1-11), not in the sense of being meaningless but in the sense of being fleeting. From the perspective of this life, such things do not last.

The preacher further argues that life is vain in that it is perplexing. We pursue knowledge and wisdom, thinking that it will be a blessing, but too often we find that the more we know, the more confused and sorrowful we are (1:18). Riches promise satisfaction, but if we love them, they will not satisfy us. Even if we do not love them, they cause us worries we did not have before (5:10-11).

Well, what is the solution to all this? Throw up our hands in despair? No, the answer is to find certainty in God and His Word (12:13-14). The Judge of all the earth will do right (Gen. 18:25). He is bringing every deed into judgment, whether good or evil, whether hidden or known to all. There is justice in the universe. For us, on this side of the cross, there is one certainty in this uncertain world – Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Despite the ever-changing storm around us, our trust in Him alone will provide a solid anchor and free us to live a life of gratitude and service as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.