Fear and Folly
There is a storm raging, whether we admit it, it is on us. It is pressing down hard, we feel it, we know by the weight, by our fatigue in drawing our breath, everything, everything, is heavier today than it was a scant few weeks ago.
The news is bad, the news is constant, unrelenting, and it seeks to place blame, while we struggle to prepare and make ready. It’s a hurricane, it’s a tornado, it’s a flood, no, it is something that we haven’t experienced to this point, no, not ever. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon lamented there was nothing new under the sun. Now, there IS something new under the sun, so new that we do not know how to address it, we don’t have a response.
Can it be as simple as washing our hands, separating ourselves from others, and not touching our faces? Obviously yes, it is that simple, but to this point, we knew, but we didn’t adhere. I mean, we have to learn to become germophobes. And it’s hard. It’s toilsome to change the day-to-day processes of people.
In the morning, my eyes pop open and immediately, an almost inconsolable dread consumes me. All I can do is quiet my mind enough to whisper a prayer and in that, find sufficient strength and sufficient peace to rise and walk and begin my day. It seems that tests of faith visit my life more often than they do in the lives of others, though it is with great certainty that a simple look around would prove this thought wrong.
So I made my way, as I do every weekend morning out to the One-Man-Think-Tank, but this morning, the first thing I did was to open the Bible. I had written the first couple of paragraphs last night before I called it a night. Having referenced King Solomon in the opening lines, I thumbed through to the book of Ecclesiastes and began to read. I’m no Bible scholar, but over the years, I’ve considered the life of Solomon. A King at the age of 20, I can only imagine the pressure he was under and I relate to the mental capacity I had at the age of 20. Solomon asked for wisdom to fulfill his obligation as King, and in asking, he was granted it, but because he asked for wisdom instead of the equivalent of a Harley Davidson Street Glide, for example, he was given anything and everything he could imagine.
If you have never read it, I will just say that the book of Ecclesiastes is eleven chapters of the most “glass half empty” writing you will ever read. That is until the conclusion in the twelfth chapter. Now don’t go and read the conclusion of this story and think you have hit the CliffsNotes. Trust me; there is value in the 11 chapters leading up to this conclusion. I mean, for eleven chapters we find that everything and I mean EVEYTHING is folly. But in the conclusion, we find that no matter how blessed we’ve been here on Earth, no matter how much of this life we’ve experienced, it can all come crashing down, but at the moment when it is doing just that, we find that the triumphant instruction is that first, we must fear God. Then secondly, we must keep his commandments. It is our duty, to do just this and for us to know that God will bring every one of our deeds into judgment, yes, that, that we do in public, as well as that, that we do when no one is watching, deeds done in the name of good, or the name of evil. Ecclesiastes indicates that while mortal humans should enjoy life and take pleasure from it, it should be known that life and every Earthly thing is but a vapor. Primarily though, the book expresses that of all things, it is blessings from the hand of God bring us the most pleasure.
This virus and the resulting madness associated with it, I think serves as an eye-opener for the human race. My twin brother Johnny called and told me that he had an idea that I might like to write about. We talked about how unprecedented this period is in the history of the world. We discussed how aside from the Great Depression and World War II, the people of the United States have been prosperous for the most part. And we all need to rejoice in that.
When things get back on track, let’s not forget this bump in the road. It is important to remember when we enter the valleys, then emerge on the other side battered and bruised, that we reflect, assess our position, and then forge on. Knowing better then, that at any point, this world, this vapor can abruptly change course and it serves us best to be alert, be observant, and be ready. Life is a temporal situation at best, but relative to the eternal promises, well, that is just it.
It behooves me to continue the discussion of Ecclesiastes, as I recall very clearly, my studies of King Solomon early in life. Reading about Solomon as I approached manhood, I learned the value of wisdom and I went on quite unintentionally, to learn many of the same lessons, all the hard way. While I never had the budget of a king, I too, denied myself little, I tried to find something new, and yes, there were times of honesty when I considered the folly that was my life.
As this new storm rages, well, here I am, searching for answers, searching for direction, peace, and protection. A person very near and dear to me used the adjective “transparent” when speaking of me and I suppose this is true and for that, I offer no apology. But when I awake tomorrow and squelch the fear again, I’ll remember that this too shall pass. Then the next day or next, or in 30 years, I’ll be called to account and in between, I’ll fear my God, I’ll keep his commandments, and the first chance I will put a little toilet paper aside for the next time people lose their minds.
Excellent! Enjoyed the read.