Without Love All Else is Vanity

Sermon on why Life is All Vanity unless it’s based in love.  Love is all you need.  It’s just not all you want!

Check out Simona Frenkel & Jody Sinkway’s Solo:

The book of Ecclesiastes is great reading if you’re depressed.  It’s kind of like the pastor who goes to visit a sick parishioner and says, “So you think you’ve got problems, let me tell you about my day!”  Page after page is dedicated to proclaiming that life is nothing but vanity.  In essence nothing lasts and we all end up sharing the same fate – death.  You can’t hold on to anything because nothing endures.

This writer has a serious case of the blues.  Like Buddy Guy singing:  “I’m so broke I can’t even pay attention.  You know I can’t win, now people, cause I don’t have nothing to lose.  Make me toss all night long.  Damn right I’ve got the blues.”

The writer of Ecclesiastes like Buddy Guy is not writing about the glory of God or about experiencing God’s faithfulness.  He’s writing about the dark night of the soul. He’s writing to each one of us whose ever had the blues.  And I like that.  I like knowing I’m not the only one who’s felt the blues.

Sometimes life lurks at the edges and his words give that reality expression.  The places where shadow begins to creep in the divide between despair and hope, between weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing.  The writer is rummaging in the room of the questions that will not keep silent and still, questions that persist even in the sweetest kiss (will s/he still love me when I’m 64) or in the moment of victory (remembering all glory is fleeting.”

The writer takes us into the twilight zone of existence.

But all is not unstable or bleak, for the writer does suggest a few things that offer some comfort.  He says, there is nothing better for mortals to do than to eat, drink and find enjoyment in their toil, for tomorrow is not promised.

There is some wisdom in what the writer has to say, but it’s not a life philosophy I would want to hang my hat on.  I can’t find any hope in it.  So in the midst of such uncertainty and times of despair where can we find hope?  For me when I’m in this place of despair, apathy or loneliness I find my hope in you.  To me you are the incarnation of Christ at times like these in my life.

The sunshine letter you all sent.  The get well wishes and cards and calls.  The Carmel popcorn from Harry and David’s perfect!  Just perfect.  Especially great late at night when insomnia has you in its grip.

When you are besieged by the encroaching shadows of doubt and despair about the value of life, let me give you this tip:  Invest considerable portions of your time and money toward building loving relationships with others.

This is the wisdom the writer of Ecclesiastes missed, that life lived out of love for others moves ceaselessly through all generations and never ends, though it does seem to be diminished from time to time.

I am a witness; the strength of my life has flowed through my parents’ parents into me.  The strength of my life is given legacy and joy by my children.  The strength of my life is given hope by family and friends.  You raise the strength of my life when it weakens, and because I know I am lifted up by the love of others.  I can do all things for the love of others strengthens me.

I don’t know how to love God apart from being loved and loving you.  Without people God tends to become just a concept.

I’m not too worried about death.  I think that will be the easy part; it’s living as though life mattered that’s the struggle.

The reason that I am here before you today is because people invested time and care in me.

So I say to you, my brothers and sisters, my family in Christ:  All is not vanity.  Love is not vanity, people are not vanity and I’m finding laughter to be a great remedy when life begins to feel otherwise.

I close with this story:  On Friday I went to my surgeon’s office for my two week post-surgical evaluation.  On my way in I see this old guy, walking toward me with an attendant.  He’s walking with this black carbon fiber cane.  Looks like something Q would have designed for Bond. I’m walking up the ramp with my hospital cane.

As we pass each other our eyes meet and he says very softly to me:  “My cane’s cooler than yours.”  It was the perfect way to relieve the tension of going to the doctor’s office and it was so true.  Amen