Ecclesiastes calls us to a nuanced dance - neither naive idealism nor total cynicism. Engaging the world honestly, yet hopefully. Acknowledging brokenness and uncertainty, yet celebrating whispering hints of beauty, truth and purpose.
This is very much the vision of kingdom people, because these whispering hints, these seemingly “small” gifts of God, are all part of realizing the newness of life found in Jesus, in spite of life’s smoke.
How do we reconcile the teachings of the Critic with the framework presented by the Author? Join us as we take a closer look at the framework of the Author (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14), and how the reframed words of the Teacher show up in the teachings of Jesus- about life in the Kingdom of God.
“Thankfully, we have talked about what is central to the Critic’s worldview, an understanding that all of life is hevel. However, that’s only half his take. While everything is hevel, the Teacher exhorts the reader to see the “gift of God”, or to recognize every experience in life as God’s gift.
So which is it Mr. Critic? Hevel or Gift?
Much to my surprise, it was both.”
In this 2nd lecture of the series, pastor Nick encourages us to consider closely the words of the Teacher/Critic, framing them properly within the author's intentions. Considering the 3 "great equalizers" of time, death and chance, the Teacher solidifies a compelling case for seeing everything as hevel. "Hevel, Hevel", says the Teacher, "everything is so utterly hevel".
Only by looking at what the Critic calls the "gift of God", does the Teacher begin to reveal how to live meaningfully in a world full of hevel.
#hevel
#ohcrc
“Smoke of smokes!”, says The Critic, “everything, is smoke”.
Did you know the Bible make some space for a critic to share insights on everything to wisdom itself?