Vanity O’ Vanity!

                There are many things to commend the Revised Common Lectionary
—our 3-year cycle of reading scripture in the Church
—but one of its shortcomings is that we only read from the book of Ecclesiastes once every three years.

                What a pity.
This book is the most nuanced of the Books of Wisdom
—focused on ending well, and letting go.
Like its more optimistic cousins,
it divides human actions into two camps wisdom and folly,
but then it follows up with: “What then?”
After you succeed, what is next?
It focuses on some deep stuff:

·         Vanity—a chasing after the wind.

·         Generational Churn—What will be done with your successes, by your successors?

·         The meaning of Life—What matters in the end?

·         Possessions—what’s the point of what we accumulate?

 

                Now today,
to hear some of the major themes of Ecclesiastes,
this under-read book of the Bible,
we’re going to consider Jesus’ famed parable of the Rich Fool.

Let us pray

 

                Jesus tells us that there was a man who was so successful
—so wealthy and well off,
that he decided to tear down his barns,
in order to build still larger ones.

                Now, many pastors, not wanting anyone to feel uncomfortable, will rush in and say,
“it is the love of money, not money itself,
that is the root of all kinds of evil.”

And that’s fair as far as it goes, but
—in a world where we’re welcoming the first Trillionaire into existence
—I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t warn you all that possessions are two-edged swords, in fact,
possessions can possess us.
-They can make us love things and use people, instead of use things and love people.
-They can push us into a corner
where we only think of scarcity and the accumulation of more,
when God offers abundance and we ought to be pleased with enough,
and consider wisely that which sustains us.
-After all, who will remember that you had a bigger barn?
Is that what they’ll be talking about at your funeral…
and if so…
is that a good thing?

                On our after-Easter vacation, Lisa, my parents, and I went to Wilmington Delaware, and we toured the Nemours Estates
—Alfred duPont’s mansion and gardens…
but on our way there, we thought we got lost
—we ended up at a big bustling children’s hospital…
Alfred duPont’s other major project…
while his giant home is seen by tourists the world over…
his investment in children’s medicine has consistently revolutionized pediatric orthopedics
and is the only pediatric health system in the nation
with two freestanding children’s hospitals.

A two-edged sword—wealth can cut both ways!

 

                The rich fool just needs to build this bigger barn, and then he can
—and to be clear he is paraphrasing—quoting—Ecclesiastes here:
“Relax, eat, drink, and be merry.”

                There will always be another barn to build…
you can forget to live, living like that.

If we’re not careful, we’ll miss the meaning of it all,
we won’t notice those sublime moments in life
—both in our work and our play. Moments of:
loyalty & gentleness,
wisdom & community,
health & helping.

Part of a meaningful life is noticing those times,
that Luther describes in his commentary on Ecclesiastes writing: “Is it not amazing, when you are empty of cares and something pleasant, something beautiful even, occurs.”

Both Duty & Delight!

 

                But, this eventual point of rest never comes,
instead the man’s only comfort is the words on his tombstone, “Rest in Peace.”
“You fool, this very night your life is being demanded of you.”

                One of Ecclesiastes ongoing refrains is “Vanity of vanities.”
Literally a puff of smoke
—vapor vaporizing (that’s the New Revised Halverson translation).

                Vanity
—it is vapid,
it is vapor,
it is fragile,
we have limits…

                And how do we respond to all that?

                On one hand, we can become grasping
—Scrooge from the Christmas Carol
—oh no! I can’t take it with me!
All my things,
all my effort,
all my wisdom and many books
—“I can’t take them with me!”
Let me clutch them to my chest, for as long as I am able!

                On the other hand, this reality can be freeing.
I can’t take it with me; I might as well share.

Ultimately, most things are out of your control!
For a type A perfectionist, this can be great news,
not only shouldn’t you try to do everything—you can’t!

 

                The comedy TV show “Schitt’s Creek” (S-C-H-I-T-T-S… creek) was popular about 5 years ago
—it was about a ridiculously rich family, who loses everything except Schitt’s Creek,
a quirky run-down town they once bought as a joke.
The whole series could almost be a commentary on Ecclesiastes.
Stripped of wealth, this family is forced to confront duty and delight,
and in so doing start a journey to become people of substance and meaning.

                There is a scene where the brother of the family, David, is taking a drivers test and has a panic attack, and his sister points out,
“Nobody cares…
people aren’t thinking about you, the way you are thinking about you…
if you stop worrying and everything will be easier.”
“It’s vapor vaporizing and that’s okay!”

 

                Finally, this man is left with the question:
“All these things I prepared, whose will they be?”
“I’m aging, I’m dying, who gets my stuff?”
“Will my successor be wise or foolish?”
“What is my legacy?”

                For the inexperienced young,
each new experience can be a crisis.

For the wise elder,
each choice is made more carefully than the last.
How can both care for one another?
How can we live in a way that there is intergenerational hopefulness?
Have we truly passed on what is good?

“What is our legacy?”

 

                Dear siblings, be not grasping, instead generous.
Consider well your legacy and what is enough.
At least for today, be present and faithful.

 

Let us pray:

“O God, we are as grass, we will wither and fade—and as grass we do not know the moment at which we will be cast to the wind. Help us to live our lives so that at our leaving of them it shall not be a tragedy; give to us such trust in your care that be we alive or dead, we abide in you. This we pray in the name of the one who died and rose for us, your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”