Meaningless, meaningless, says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless. Everything is meaningless.
Not the words of an atheist philosopher, but the words of an inspired writer of Scripture. Suspend with me whatever beliefs you have about the world and take a look at this brief clip from television's greatest gift to its viewers. This scene came to my mind as I listened to an introductory sermon on Ecclesiastes last night.
To summarise what's going on here, a drug war is about to break out between two crews, but the thing that instigated the war never actually occurred. It's all predicated on a lie. So what now? Well, in the words of Slim Charles, "if it's a lie then we fight on that lie, but we gotta fight".
And this relates to Ecclesiastes how exactly? Well, say the Teacher is right. Say everything is meaningless, even the greatest things. Take this worldview to be what's real. My question is this: Why does almost everyone "fight" on the lie that there is meaning in the world, that their choices matter in some profound way? We all do it, whether we identify ourselves as Christians or atheists or what have you. We pretend that love between two people matters, we pretend we can make a difference in the lives of others and in the state of the world. We pretend so much and so convincingly that though we may or may not affirm in our cosmic reflection time that ultimately there is no meaning, our day to day lives and thought-processes tell of a story. that matters significantly In many ways, we exchange the truth about meaninglessness for the lie of meaningfulness, whether we're aware of it not. To paraphrase Slim, if meaningfulness is a lie, then we live on that lie, but we've gotta live.
Of course the Christian worldview does not affirm meaninglessness. The truth as Christians understand it (though only in part) is that the origins of the world spring from a God of love and purpose, who made mankind in this image. The desire for love and purpose remains as God's fingerprint on His creation, yet we are confused because of our alienation from the Creator. We cannot handle the truth about God, yet we cannot handle a truth void of true love and purpose. In this state we end up living our lives based on two lies - God is nonexistent/irrelevant, and there is meaning in the world.
The Christian proclamation, however, is that the latter is no lie. We are not faking it when we act as if love ultimately matters. A broken heart is not irrelevant, nor is a restored one. Relationships matter, our vocation matters. It all matters. The lie that we all fight on -- that there is meaning in the world -- turns out to be the truth. Why? Because Jesus is the truth; the truth about God and the truth about man. His supreme act of love and His vindication by resurrection has changed everything. New creation and thus new meaning has burst into the world. When we adjust ourselves to this reality, things begin to make sense.
Unlike this post.
And this relates to Ecclesiastes how exactly? Well, say the Teacher is right. Say everything is meaningless, even the greatest things. Take this worldview to be what's real. My question is this: Why does almost everyone "fight" on the lie that there is meaning in the world, that their choices matter in some profound way? We all do it, whether we identify ourselves as Christians or atheists or what have you. We pretend that love between two people matters, we pretend we can make a difference in the lives of others and in the state of the world. We pretend so much and so convincingly that though we may or may not affirm in our cosmic reflection time that ultimately there is no meaning, our day to day lives and thought-processes tell of a story. that matters significantly In many ways, we exchange the truth about meaninglessness for the lie of meaningfulness, whether we're aware of it not. To paraphrase Slim, if meaningfulness is a lie, then we live on that lie, but we've gotta live.
Of course the Christian worldview does not affirm meaninglessness. The truth as Christians understand it (though only in part) is that the origins of the world spring from a God of love and purpose, who made mankind in this image. The desire for love and purpose remains as God's fingerprint on His creation, yet we are confused because of our alienation from the Creator. We cannot handle the truth about God, yet we cannot handle a truth void of true love and purpose. In this state we end up living our lives based on two lies - God is nonexistent/irrelevant, and there is meaning in the world.
The Christian proclamation, however, is that the latter is no lie. We are not faking it when we act as if love ultimately matters. A broken heart is not irrelevant, nor is a restored one. Relationships matter, our vocation matters. It all matters. The lie that we all fight on -- that there is meaning in the world -- turns out to be the truth. Why? Because Jesus is the truth; the truth about God and the truth about man. His supreme act of love and His vindication by resurrection has changed everything. New creation and thus new meaning has burst into the world. When we adjust ourselves to this reality, things begin to make sense.
Unlike this post.
In the "old" Catechism we had in national school, it was stated, that, "A lie is always sinful". Today, in our post-modern world, a lie can be anything, but sinful. It can be expedient.It can be politically correct. It can be "successful.It can be whatever you want it to be.But the truth is, that a lie is sinful.God reveals Himself in His Word, as the One cannot lie.
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