Anyone who reads this blog regularly, or who knows me personally probably knows that I have my hesitations and convictions about what we consider the large, organized, ‘corporate’ church. Not speaking, necessarily of people, but of the organization they create and maintain.

But I still I don’t think there is too much that’s more important that being a part of the natural and organic body of Christ.

In other words, having Christian friends and living life with them.

While I was reading in Ecclesiastes today, I came upon Solomon’s own argument for the same thing. I think he says it better than I do.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Reading in Ecclesiastes earlier, I came across a few points that I found perplexing. After thinking and reflecting, I dove into some commentaries for some insight.

On the verses of Ecclesiastes 3:11-15, Matthew Henry had this to say:

Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God’s hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God’s works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time. Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him.

That’s a lot to think about.

I’ll keep this short and sweet.

I just watched Iron Man on a PS3 in high definition blue ray. It was pretty sweet. Sounded awesome. Looked really clear. Definitely a sweet set up. But, if I may interject my personal opinion: this new wave of high-definition entertainment is an excellent example of the vanities described in Ecclesiastes.

We are always craving more and more. Somewhere deep down something says, “just get this… just gain that… if you only had this…”. But the deception is in that that voice never goes away. No matter what you attain to, there will always be something more to reach and desire.

Some people take that line of logic and say we should simply renounce everything material. But I think the more reasonable response is vanity management. Settle for what you have until something better is given to you, or becomes outrageously affordable (i.e., DVD players go for under $40).

Long story short, don’t pant after the new blue ray technology. It’s cool, but it isn’t going to satisfy you. At least not any more than a regular old DVD player will.

* for the record, I’m speaking of temporal satisfaction. Not that good eternal stuff.

Here in Maryland, we have this thing called the Beltway. Well, it’s not just Maryland. It’s Virginia too. It’s basically one long road that goes in a circle around Washington DC. It’s main purpose is to get commuters around the city and between its suburbs without actually having to go through the city. It also serves to help out-of-staters get thoroughly lost.

The Beltway is one of those roads with a weirdly low speed limit which common understanding holds that it should be dramatically broken at pretty much all times. At any given time, cars will be flying around the Beltway going between 80 and 90 miles per hour (keeping in mind, this is a 55mph road).

During rush hour, things only get more intense.

Well, every once in a while, you’ll come across a pace car. Maybe it’s an elderly person. Maybe its a new driver. Maybe it’s an out-of-stater who hasn’t learned to drive yet. But regardless of who they are, they’re always the same driver. They’re the folks who sit in the left lane, holding up traffic. They’re not necessarily going slower than traffic, they’re keeping up perfectly, causing hugely annoying flow problems.

Because they’re not going slower or faster, no one can pass them. So right in front of you might be a Subaru and right next to them is a Jeep and they’re both going the same freakin’ speed! You’ll see a long line of cars backed up behind them just hoping they notice how annoying they’re being. Finally someone gets anxious and scoots all the way to the right lane and passes that way. The rest will soon follow.

In all the universe of highway driving this has to be the most annoying. More annoying than the bikers who fly by between lanes. More annoying than someone driving too slow. More annoying than a whole cluster of cars quickly slowing down for a speed trap that they had plenty of time to anticipate. This takes the cake.

Well, tonight I came across the mother of all pace car experiences. A triple pace car. That’s right, three pace cars all lined up together. Absolutely no way by. I had no choice but to sit there fuming about their totally annoying driving habits.

It wasn’t long before my obstacles became a kind of nemesis in my mind. My mission emerged… I had to get passed them. If nothing else, simple for the principle. Frankly, it was weird. Every lane shift and change they made, I began to interpret as if they were actually coordinating with each other to be the worlds most annoying set of motorists. Attempt after attempt to pass them were continually thwarted. It seemed almost calculated.

I was so annoyed I actually thought of giving one of the cars the finger. I know, it was weird trip from reality.

But in the midst of my epic encounter, I started thinking about Ecclesiastes. I’m in Ecclesiastes now and Solomon’s sentiment about the vanity of life is potent on my mind. But here it was, staring me in the face. I was fighting these cars for preeminence on the road, but for what? To get to my exit 200 feet before they did?

It was with these thoughts that I calmed down and stopped paying attention to them.

All life begins the same, with birth. All life ends the same, with death. No man has power of either and all are subject to both. Nothing I achieve here will matter then, so why chase with such vehemence, such vanities? All that matters is the grace of God and how it is stewarded.

I’m quite confident that it’s not in fighting the pace car.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

How much do we know about being a cord? How much can be deducted from the Word?

Today, I rolled over into the month of October in my Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. I’m finally through the book of Luke, Hebrews, Proverbs and Isaiah. I have to admit, I find Isaiah and Hebrews to be some of the more daunting books to read, and while I’m glad and grateful I’ve been able to do so, I’m also ready for something new.

So, today, I begin the Gospel of John, the book of James, Ecclesiastes and Jeremiah.

I’m quite familiar with John and James already, but Jeremiah I’m less acquainted with. Ecclesiastes however, is among my favorite books of the Old Testament. I was realizing today as I read through the first chapter, that the Preacher’s thoughts through Ecclesiastes are so many of my own before I came to know Christ. And even today, the philosophical logic of the book continues to be an undergirding to my faith.

I’m excited for this month’s reading. I’m sure I’ll be keeping you posted!

Have you ever been swept up in the possibilities of life? I mean, like the vast possibilities. People occupy the entire array of possible lifestyles and esteem. Globally, I mean. Kings; princes; government officials; wealthy business men; executives; movie stars; rock stars; upper management; lower management; blue collar workers; hard laborers; retail workers; public servants; children; the poor; the homeless; the dying; the sick. We’ve got people minutes from being born, and people minutes from dying. All the different things that could happen, in all the different situations and circumstances that arise throughout a person’s life, cascade out to what seems like an almost endless set of possibilities of where a person can end up.

Here in America we’re sort of bred into a kind of ‘you can do whatever you put your mind to’ ideology; which, for a number of reasons isn’t true—and probably destructive. Most folks in America will grow up with their hands in one thing but their eyes on another altogether. Most will pass without a trace; forgotten by people within a few decades at most. Some will have a longer run; entertainers and servants, whose work will exceed their life span. A very select few will make it into history books on account of their great leadership or massive blunders. But none will enjoy these comforts and joys; none will be able to enjoy his status with any real longevity, instead, folks he’ll never meet will. “…A person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it” (Ecclesiastes 2:21).

There are some times when I forget the big picture. I look so closely at this life—what I’d like to achieve, who I’d like to be, the statuses I’d like to enjoy, the relationships I’d like to have—and forget how truly fleeting they are. I sometimes foolishly give my heart to these things and grieve that I do not now enjoy them. But all the while, if my gaze would be upon the big picture, I would see the grandness of what is to be enjoyed and the triviality of what I feign for.

May the Lord grant mercy to me and my brothers and sisters in this. And may he give strength to place our hearts in heaven, and so there we may also find our treasure.

Tragic,
To miss
To see
What way deep down
We’d like
To be.
Believe,
If here
It fails
A test of taste
To move
These scales.