“Chasing After the Wind”

Our scripture this morning is taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, one of four books in the Bible,

along with the books of Proverbs, Job, and Song of Solomon, given the scholarly designation of

Wisdom Literature. These books share in common the pursuit of answers to life’s universal

questions about suffering, justice, right living, and the nature of God’s creation.

Ecclesiastes is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word Qohelet, meaning “the one who gathers.”

Rather than being his proper name, Qohelet is the title of the person thought to have authored the

book of Ecclesiastes. He was a questioner of life and a gatherer of wisdom, which he shared

with those around him. His search for meaning in life led him down a path of futility. Today, he

challenges us to face the truths of our existence and to ask where and how God will fit. It is a

worthy exercise. In Chapter Three, Qohelet turns to the contemplation of time:

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
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a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

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a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

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a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

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a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

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a time to seek, and a time to lose;

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a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
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a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

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a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

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What gain have the workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to

everyone to be busy with. 11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a

sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the

beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy

themselves as long as they live; 13 moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take

pleasure in all their toil.

One of my favorite sitcoms from the late 90’s was Everybody Loves Raymond, about a family

whose parents-in-law lived just across the street. One episode I remember in particular took a

humorous look at a question that I think we all ask with great seriousness at one time or another.

Raymond’s young daughter asked him to explain to her why God puts us here on earth. I think

the show’s writers must have had the book of Ecclesiastes open before them when they scripted

the ensuing discussion that took place among the adults in the family.

Grandpa Frank’s take on the subject was simple: “You’re born, you go to school and work, you

die. That’s it.”

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Raymond’s brother Robert had questions about space and time: “Is it really endless?” “What

about the beginning of time?” “What was there before that?”

As Raymond’s mother Marie begins flipping through the Bible in search of answers, Ray decides

to call their parish priest, Father Hubley. He leaves a message on Father Hubley’s answering

machine: “Me and the family were just sitting around and we had a quick question for you.

What is the meaning of life? So if you could get back to us as soon as possible, we would

appreciate it. We’re kind of waiting.”

Wife Debra comes to the conclusion that though we may question, there are some things that we

will never know, to which Robert replies, “So God made us smart enough to know there’s an

answer but not smart enough to figure it out?” And looking up to Heaven with arms outstretched

in exasperation he shouts, “Come On!!”

Qohelet, in his own time of approximately 250 BCE, shared this same frustration. An expression

which bookends his writing of Ecclesiastes, appearing in the first and last chapters and emerging

as a major theme of the book is “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Translated from the Hebrew

hebel meaning “vapor or breath,” vanity refers to something that does not last, cannot be

grasped, and makes no sense: a “chasing after the wind.” It is the conclusion Qohelet reached in

his own questioning and search for the meaning of the human experience. In doubling the word,

the assertion is multiplied: life is utterly incomprehensible. Circumstances change. Life ebbs

and flows, and in the end, it is work. He asked, “What gain have the workers from their toil?”

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He saw that what we humans lacked was the big picture view. Any order that might be

attributed to events was beyond our understanding. Life was lived in the dark.

The dark is not a comfortable place. We like to know where we are going. We search for

governing rules that we can follow to predictably lead us through a logical progression. Because

with reliable rules comes control. But then the unexpected happens. Just when we think we

have things figured out, the tide turns, and we can feel what Qohelet expressed so aptly, “Vanity

of vanities, all is vanity.” What has ever made you feel this way?

My sister-in-law Kim was a great mom whose children adored her. She taught them her free and

easy approach to life, which balanced my brother’s strict and strong personality. They seemed to

be the perfect family. Kim led her daughters’ Girl Scout troops, encouraged her son’s

performances in Community Theater, volunteered in all her children’s schools, made crafts, and

baked her own pies. She loved flea markets and filled their home with antiques she refinished

herself.

The doctors never noticed that at her successive yearly check-ups her white blood cell count,

while still within normal limits, was slowly rising. The big picture was only pieced together later

after she had already been diagnosed with chronic leukemia. The suspected cause: exposure to

chemicals commonly contained in furniture restoration varnishes. It was a time of weeping,

tearing, mourning, and then dying. The order in that was hard to see.

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But Qohelet affirms that there is an order to life, and a place for us in the grand scheme of things.

We can know that when the weeping is over, it gives way to laughter. We can wait for it. After

the tearing, we can sew. There can be dancing again after mourning, and death makes way for

rebirth. This is the Easter message, and also part of God’s plan. For us to take part, we must

allow for the cycle to finish, trusting in the order we can find there. That trust can lead us to ask,

“What is called for here?” “What response will serve God’s purpose for me?” “What good

might be in store when this is finished?” “What does this experience make possible?” God can

help us with the answers to these questions, allowing us to see not down the entire road, but to

the next right step.

Qohelet, in his searching for wisdom, concluded that we should not lament our lack of vision but

rather eat and drink of the experiences that life gives us. After the unexpected happens, life may

never be the same, but it doesn’t have to be over. There is planting and building to be done and

lessons to learn. We can choose how we respond and find meaning in the discovery of what

comes next. There can be joy in knowing that God’s plan is in place, and that in the end we will

see the beauty of it.

My brother has remarried, and he and his new wife are gathering stones together and building a

life with their children. My nephew is excelling in college with dreams of a career in business.

My nieces have each had their own successes doing the things that they love, with their dad and

stepmom’s affirmation and encouragement along the way. They did go through dark times, but

are now able to dance again. Their home, once a place of sadness and despair, is now a model

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for the healing power of God. Seeing them today, my faith in the ultimate good is continually

renewed.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. What season are you

in? From what season have you emerged?

As a church, we cycle through our own seasons. We seek; we plan; we decide; we work. And

wisdom teaches us to keep God at the center of it all.

The Children’s and Youth Ministry teams recently met to envision and plan for the future. We

each brought our own individual ideas, but when we came together, something mysterious and

profound happened. We recognized our own thoughts expressed more fully by others. We

listened and gained new insights. And we let go of old assumptions in favor of a larger

perspective. I think all involved would agree that the purpose, values, and vision statements that

resulted from this exchange reflected much bigger ideals than any of us possessed on our own.

A predominant theme of our discussion was the value we place on our children and youth as

growing Christians and contributors to the church’s mission. We imagined a learning

environment that enables our children to discover their gifts and express themselves freely. Our

highest vision for our young people is that, through the strength of the Gospel message, they will

form a living relationship with their Savior that is embodied in a life of faith and service.

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It is these ideals that will guide our work in the coming months and years. We trust that this is

God’s work, and that we are merely his instruments for planting his seeds and building his

kingdom, as we enter a new season of growth.

As Qohelet contemplated time, he came to understand that life encompasses all ranges of

experiences. And in all of them, God is present. Through the weeping, he holds our hand in his.

Later, at the right time, that same hand will teach us how to dance and how to build.

One day for us, there will come a time of knowing, but until then, take comfort in the glimpses

that God gives us of his goodness and grace and be glad that ultimately, he is the one in charge.

Remember Raymond’s family? Well, with no real issues resolved, Raymond and Debra bravely

walked upstairs to share what they hoped would be wisdom with their questioning daughter.

Upon finding her room empty, they proceeded to their sons’ room where they saw them all

playing, wrestling, and laughing together. The camera panned to Mom and Dad’s faces as they

watched their children with great pleasure and contentment. An assuring voice seemed to be

saying, “Lay your questions aside, and just enjoy what has been created for you.” A moment

later, we hear a crash, and parents rush to salvage order. Life does go on.