Like a broken record, the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastics repeats the phrase “under the sun” over and over as he contemplates the human condition. His earthly perspective and questions and experiential basis for answering predates and anticipates the Greek philosophical tradition by almost 500 years. Here is a man seeking to understand life below a heavenly perspective and seek what is the best way we should live…and the answer is in recognition that we will die.
Rich, poor, wise, foolish, sinner and saint, we will all die.
Just as in Plato’s dialogues, where Socrates stated that philosophy is about preparing to die, learning how to live in light of our own mortality, the Preacher calls us to consider how we should live.
However in the midst of this grim perspective, in the context of God’s wisdom we see what our great blessing is during all the days of our lives. Ecc 9:7-9 stands out to me, “Eat..with happiness, drink…with a cheerful heart. God has already approved your works…Enjoy life with the woman you love all the days of your fleeting life…”
Morality has been the aim of the art of Memento Mori in art history (Latin for “Remember you will die”), to encourage people in light of their mortality. And as I reflected on the theme in Ecclesiastics I was stirred to also remember that we are not able to save ourselves through our own morality, that God remembered us, and sent Jesus to live the life of righteousness we couldn’t, and conquer death after conquering sin.
And so the piece departs from the traditional imagery of mortality, fading flowers and time flying and ends with contemplating Christ’s own death, His burial and His triumph over death.
