I have been recently very interested in listening to the songs of ABBA, a Swedish pop band. In the videos, they looked so happy together. Even when I was a cynical teenager I liked the idea of them being together. I was also living in the sadness of the Beatles having broken up. The Beatles were so wonderful together; John, Paul and Ringo were the stars to me. Every now and then rumours would fly around that the Beatles are getting together again, but it was never true.
Then after some years ABBA split up and they all went their different ways. I know that what we see on videos or on the stage is not real but a type of reality that the band wish to project. Even though ABBA breaking up did not make me as sad as when the Beatles broke up, it still gave me a pang. There were probably children involved and they especially must have suffered sadness at their parents splitting up.
Then the other day I heard a religious address where the speaker spoke about King Solomon, the presumed writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Just a bit of background in case it will be helpful.
Solomon was the son of King David. When Solomon began his reign, he was humble and close to the Spirit of God. When God told the young King he could have anything his heart desired, the young man asked only for the Spirit of God to be with him. His answer pleased God and the young King was given great blessings. Then there was the famous case of the two mothers and two babies, one dead and the other alive. Both claimed that the live baby was theirs and the dead baby was the other mother's baby. Solomon decided that the live and dead babies were to be cut in half and given to the two women. The one mother agreed with the King whereas the other woman was horrified and said that the other contesting woman could keep the live baby. King Solomon then gave the live baby to the woman who did not want the baby cut in half. The world of King Solomon's day marveled at his wisdom. When I was young I assumed that the mother was the woman who didn't want the live baby killed, but lately I have come to realise, regardless of whose mother the live baby really was, the baby certainly went to the best suited woman.
The years passed and Solomon went the way of all kings; he preferred is own view and no longer relied on the Lord. He married and had many concubines who did not follow the God of Israel. Solomon lost the companionship of the Spirit of God. Political intrigue and fighting family disillusioned the King. He became bitter and sad.
When a person reads this book in the Old Testament, one can feel the unhappiness of the writer. In chapter 12, verse 8 we read: "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity." The King had been trapped by a previous poor choices of a lifetime of missed opportunities.
Yet the poor King still knew what he should have done, what we should do when he said in conclusion at the end of the same chapter: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
So people make choices in life, this poor man had the world at his feet, but near the end of his life, he sees the results of political expediency.
So when I look around in the world at people who would be my heroes, I see them slip up and fall. They could have had so much, yet all is gone. It is very sad, but that is the risk of making mortals heroes. When we look at our own lives, have we made choices that make life a vanity? Maybe we have made mistakes, terrible mistakes but we can change a lifetime of "vanities" and mistakes to a life of change. The courage to confess, the courage to change, the courage to try do a better job.
Maybe then we can change a life of vanity to a life of pride?
