The Vacuity of Life - Precisely who or what is is all for?

Sitting on a park bench I delve into the mysteries of Qohelet’s1 scribbles. I’m trying to be on my guard against cynicism but I find that I relate to these words much more than I’ve ever done before.

For the first time ever I can relate to the sense of the vacuous expressed in his literary ramblings. I know that all that glitters is not gold. I live it.

But ‘[God] has set eternity in the hearts of men’ and all is not lost. Living post-Messiah we see a bit more what this eternity looks like. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’2

But the old order of things has not yet passed away. Living in the gap - the now but not yet - we feel the tension. We know a little of how things will operate in this new heaven and new earth, and we can operate in its values now. Because we know He will wipe every tear from their eyes, we can wipe tears from peoples’ eyes. Because we know there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain we do all we can to make sure there is no death or mourning or crying or pain. We have a purpose, one that fits into eternity.

And for the first time in a long time, I know hope.

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1 The canonical book of Ecclesiastes, written by Qohelet, or ‘teacher’.
2 Revelation 21:4