Enjoy Life

Ecclesiastes is one of those books of scripture that makes me scratch my head and wonder, “How did that get in the Bible”? The author, whether Solomon or some editor, surely seems despondent if not depressed throughout most of the book.

On the other hand, in a group conversation about this book, several in the group had to admit that at one time or another they, too, had felt like the author. So, perhaps it is a good thing we have Ecclesiastes in the canon of scripture to remind us to be honest about our feelings.

One of the gifts of Ecclesiastes is that we are provided an affirmation of the goodness of creation in its pages. While Christian history is filled with examples of a kind of hyper-asceticism, Ecclesiastes lets us know that taking pleasure in the material things of life is not a sin but may be one of the primary reasons for living, at least from the author’s perspective.

There is a place for self-denial in the Christian life – the admonition of Jesus for us to bear our crosses is clear testimony to that. However, the stark self-denial-bordering-on-punishment that has sometimes surfaced in some Christian communities in our history (self-flagellation and –mortification, for example) is not supported at all by Ecclesiastes (or by Jesus I would contend).

So, to “eat, drink, and be merry,” as Ecclesiastes advises us is something we Christians might take to heart, and without any sense of guilt. Nevertheless, I would add that in contrast to Ecclesiastes, such pleasure is not the sole end of human existence. Another word from Jesus, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

Pleasure in the goodness of creation can take us only so far. There is more to life. There is more to “blessing” than enjoying our “stuff.” There is also the Way of the Cross, which is both harder and more satisfying than “eating, drinking and being merry.”