We don't have all the answers

3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3:3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;

The Book of Ecclesiastes (ESV)

No doubt you can sing the rest of the verses. Well, if you are a child of the 60’s like I was. The Byrds popularized the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 with their hit Turn, Turn, Turn. The theme of the Book is “The Meaningless of Life.”

1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. (ESV)

How often have we felt this? What’s it all about? What’s the purpose of life? Do I have a purpose? The Byrds sang in the 60’s when life’s mysteries were up for grabs and hope was on the edge.

I have not talked to a person on either side of the issues facing our country who is not taken back with the present situation. But this situation has been present for quite some time. It was 40 years ago that we first talked about the politics of personal destruction. Forty years later we have taken that to new heights. “All truth is personal,” is the cry and “power” is the Neitzchgarian (19th century German philosopher) “will to power.” This is the actualizing our will onto ourselves or our surroundings. Ah such is politics! Such is post-modern life. The culture wars are taking no survivors.

The “Preacher” has another vision. The point of Ecclesiastes is to remind us all of our human inability to grasp life’s mysteries and our impotence to change life’s realities. Tough message. No, we aren’t the center of the universe. The Preacher has a positive conclusion however about what is a good and meaningful life.

6:12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? (ESV)

Short answer: God. Fear God (reference, respect) 12:13; God is in control (3:1-11); Life a wise life (9:13-16). What ails us will not change given our own devices. To be sure, we can disagree, but in the end, it is God who leads and directs our common life not only our individual lives. Our politics abuses our life together. The solution is not to become a-political. Rather, to deepen our recognition and reliance on God and respect for one another. For we don’t have all the answers.