Today's installment of this blog comes to you in the context of Chapter 1:16-2:3. We have been looking at this ancient book and observing how it applies to us today who struggle with addictive and compulsive behaviors. First off let me say that at least "high tech" knowledge can be frustrating. I took some software programs off my laptop yesterday afternoon and put a new one on and it now is shut down to the point that windows won't even continue to run. This is the job for a professional except I have to finish getting ready for class tomorrow night! Right now I am on my son's computer.
Anyway here we go. We are looking today at how Solomon viewed wisdom and the contrasting foolishness of life, both in thought and behavior. The wisest man whoever lived looks for the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolishness and folly. Surely there must be some benefit to wisdom and knowledge. But Solomon says no. Why? this sounds ridiculous that you would not find any benefit in this contrast. We look for ways to avoid bad behaviors and accomplish good behaviors as addictive and compulsive people in recovery. But Solomon in these ancient texts says this knowledge only leads to frustration. Why? it leads to heartache. A wise man will understand that all the conundrums and inequities of life cannot all be alleviated, even in his own life. This leads to emotional sorrow and mental anguish. Compulsive and addictive people will many times use this insight to act out impulsively. So Solomon leads them down that path.
The first three verses of the second chapter deals with What may be labeled the boomerang effect. If living life skillfully and gaining insight and wisdom are of no use then let's throw caution to the wind! Solomon says I'm going to make indulgent behavior a research project! Now that sounds like something an addict would do! But in the end as all of us know and Solomon found out it is empty also. Self indulgent pleasure provides no meaningful substance to life. Addictive and compulsive behaviors are a series of deluded self indulgent actions attempting to control emotions or to control and minimize the damage to self, to loved ones, to others. All the while dashing from one behavior to another looking for the "big fix." And that can be used loosely. Solomon concludes this is also futile.
Solomon also says that humor in the context of self indulgence doesn't work either. How much humor have you heard from addictive and compulsive people that is biting, sarcastic and moronic? There is another proverb elsewhere that states "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Many times with addicts comes that gallows humor. It is a way of dealing with the tragic sorrows that this behavior brings. We laugh at the tragedies but it is an empty laughter.
Solomon specifically identifies one of the best known of addictions: alcohol. Here is the use of wine. The nuance of the text here is that Solomon engaged in using wine to its full potential to see what it could accomplish. It is not without a realistic connection that Solomon put alcohol in the context of foolish behavior. The two go together (cf. Prov. 20:1, 21:17, 23:20, 29-35).
Interesting--during this research project that Solomon set out on he knew what he was doing, unlike some of us who use addictive and compulsive behaviors to manage our lives. Solomon has come back with the results of his study. The results are: don't do it. It doesn't work. Dr. Robert Littlefield a colleague of mine quoted this one time and it stuck. "The definition of addictive and compulsive behaviors is the irresistible urge to commit an irrational act." I think that is very good.
So we conclude again today with the concept that all of these behaviors may appear to hold meaning but in the end are empty like the breath of air we breathe in and out. As addicts we are powerless to change life and the behaviors in it. That is the first step. knowledge doesn't work, self indulgence doesn't work, humor doesn't work and alcohol doesn't work. Solomon will eventually tell us--he's building the case right now--that a spiritual path will provide meaning to a meaningless life.
Our time is up for today so until our next session: "Keep coming back it works if you work it and you're worth it."
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
This is the third installment on Solomon's views of this world "under the Sun." A final word is in order concerning the introduction. We did not say a lot about verse eleven of chapter 1. "No one remembers the former events, nor will anyone remember the future events that are yet to happen, they will not be remembered by the future generations. (NET). A rather somber view of history. Does anyone reading this know their great grand parents? What were their names? Who won the Baseball world series last year? Five years ago? Who won the Superbowl last year? As Bob Hays said: "If winning the Superbowl is so great why do they play it every year?" Who was the 22nd president of the United States? Life is transitory. Past and even future events are only remembered in history books and by those who experienced them. Experience the present wisely I think will be Solomon's advice to us.
This ends the introduction to the book. It is an introduction that appeals to the senses. He has built an emotional dryness into the reader by metaphorically talking about wind, water cycles and historical amnesia.
Now Solomon turns to the gaining of knowledge. Certainly the wisest man who ever lived should be able to figure life out right? The words used here are not the words for wisdom but the gaining of knowledge either physical or mental knowledge. This was even prior to the rise of the Greek's pursuit of knowledge. Solomon came to the conclusion that life is futile "empty" like the wind. Inquiring into life from the standpoint of gaining facts is insufficient. There is no connection.
There is no value in accomplishments. They are long forgotten. The problem that Solomon presents here though is that while accomplishments are futile it doesn't mean that they are "unimpactful" Life's choices and events do have an impact. Solomon uses a literary device here where he intentionally shrouds the meaning of "What is crooked cannot be straightened." He waits to elaborate on it until Chapter 7. The point is that there are certain things that happen in life that cannot be changed. When Solomon says that what is missing cannot be supplied he is speaking of quantity. Things that you miss in life are very hard to make up later in life. It may be love, uconditional acceptance, attachment or the amenities that make life either bearable or their absence makes it traumatic.
When we struggle with addiction and compulsivity there are sometimes things that we have missed. That we continue to miss--Love and nuture. addiction and compulsive behaviors are there to provide an illusion of nuture and love. The fact that they present us with powerlessness tells us how powerful they are. When we attempt to "think" about life we find that it is futile, vaporlike-empty. Thinking about the addiction and compulsivity does not solve it. Many of those who struggle with addiction have had many successes in life. One man relayed this quote to me concerning his struggle with addiction and compulsivity. Alexander the great was to have said after his defeat of Darius king of Persia " It is far better for a man to master himself than to conquer all of Asia." Success can be fleeting Solomon has done a good job of mking us view it that way. Our time is up for today. So until next time: Keep coming back it works if you work it and your're worth it.
This ends the introduction to the book. It is an introduction that appeals to the senses. He has built an emotional dryness into the reader by metaphorically talking about wind, water cycles and historical amnesia.
Now Solomon turns to the gaining of knowledge. Certainly the wisest man who ever lived should be able to figure life out right? The words used here are not the words for wisdom but the gaining of knowledge either physical or mental knowledge. This was even prior to the rise of the Greek's pursuit of knowledge. Solomon came to the conclusion that life is futile "empty" like the wind. Inquiring into life from the standpoint of gaining facts is insufficient. There is no connection.
There is no value in accomplishments. They are long forgotten. The problem that Solomon presents here though is that while accomplishments are futile it doesn't mean that they are "unimpactful" Life's choices and events do have an impact. Solomon uses a literary device here where he intentionally shrouds the meaning of "What is crooked cannot be straightened." He waits to elaborate on it until Chapter 7. The point is that there are certain things that happen in life that cannot be changed. When Solomon says that what is missing cannot be supplied he is speaking of quantity. Things that you miss in life are very hard to make up later in life. It may be love, uconditional acceptance, attachment or the amenities that make life either bearable or their absence makes it traumatic.
When we struggle with addiction and compulsivity there are sometimes things that we have missed. That we continue to miss--Love and nuture. addiction and compulsive behaviors are there to provide an illusion of nuture and love. The fact that they present us with powerlessness tells us how powerful they are. When we attempt to "think" about life we find that it is futile, vaporlike-empty. Thinking about the addiction and compulsivity does not solve it. Many of those who struggle with addiction have had many successes in life. One man relayed this quote to me concerning his struggle with addiction and compulsivity. Alexander the great was to have said after his defeat of Darius king of Persia " It is far better for a man to master himself than to conquer all of Asia." Success can be fleeting Solomon has done a good job of mking us view it that way. Our time is up for today. So until next time: Keep coming back it works if you work it and your're worth it.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
This week we will be looking at the verses 1:5-10. We will continue to look at Solomon's presentation of futility. Here he picks up the concept of the rising and setting of the sun. The author stresses that the sun moves or more correctly "hastens" or races to its setting. Only to rise again. Thereis a futile racing of the sun back to its starting point.
Solomon uses the wind next. This is somewhat of a play on words in that vanity or emptiness has to do with the movement of the invisible wind or breath of man and the wind moves relentlessly while it will swirl around it ultimately never stops and will always have patterns--prevailing winds if youre please.
The author uses water as a metaphor next. The streams continually run into the sea and the seas never fill up. Solomon doesn't explain how but knows that there is an inexhaustable source (relatively speaking taking into account droughts) for the streams. Rains and snow come and fill the streams. Solomon has taken into account well the relentless monotony of the physical make up of nature. There certainly is beauty in nature but there is also a savagery. Being caught in a snowstorm or in the desert ill prepared can be life threatening. Solomon says even the observation of the beauty that is there can be futile and empty. "The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever filled with hearing." (NET).
He also talks about the permanence of the physical universe. The universe has changed very little and the landscape of the world we know changes very little. For those who are urban dwellers the landscape changes because of buildng projects but even there is a futility to that.
Next Solomon introduces the concept of work, toil more appropriately from later contexts. work has a relentlessness to it. Anyone who has worked at all knows there is a monotony to it. He adds the oncept that there is nothing new "under the sun." i.e. on earth. Look at this from a purely phenomonological standpoint standpoint most of the recent discoveries cannot be observed with the naked eye. New planets that are discovered, neew cell processes, and new organic or chemical discoveries all cannot be seen with the naked eye. the effects of some of these discoveries can be seen i.e. the nuclear bomb but the actual discoveries cannot necessarily be seen by casual or natural observation. From that standpoint there is nothing new. No one can point to something that is actually new under the sun in terms of man's life and his existence in relationship to the physical world.
As in the first blog Solomon is setting forth the monotony of life on this earth. Many times people who struggle with addiction do not "see" the world as Solomon has presented it. They see it in terms of hurts, disrespect, slights by others and the "relentless" cycle of compulsivity: acting in, acting out. Appearing to manage life and then having it spin out of control. Solomon wants his readers to face the emptiness of life and accept that this is human kind's place in the world. Until we can accept life as it really is we can't change. I pray that those who struggle with addiction and compulsivity and read this will be able to find themselves in step one. "We are powerless and our lives hae become unmanageable." Our time is up for this week, so until next week: "Keep coming back it works if you wrk it and you're worth it."
Solomon uses the wind next. This is somewhat of a play on words in that vanity or emptiness has to do with the movement of the invisible wind or breath of man and the wind moves relentlessly while it will swirl around it ultimately never stops and will always have patterns--prevailing winds if youre please.
The author uses water as a metaphor next. The streams continually run into the sea and the seas never fill up. Solomon doesn't explain how but knows that there is an inexhaustable source (relatively speaking taking into account droughts) for the streams. Rains and snow come and fill the streams. Solomon has taken into account well the relentless monotony of the physical make up of nature. There certainly is beauty in nature but there is also a savagery. Being caught in a snowstorm or in the desert ill prepared can be life threatening. Solomon says even the observation of the beauty that is there can be futile and empty. "The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever filled with hearing." (NET).
He also talks about the permanence of the physical universe. The universe has changed very little and the landscape of the world we know changes very little. For those who are urban dwellers the landscape changes because of buildng projects but even there is a futility to that.
Next Solomon introduces the concept of work, toil more appropriately from later contexts. work has a relentlessness to it. Anyone who has worked at all knows there is a monotony to it. He adds the oncept that there is nothing new "under the sun." i.e. on earth. Look at this from a purely phenomonological standpoint standpoint most of the recent discoveries cannot be observed with the naked eye. New planets that are discovered, neew cell processes, and new organic or chemical discoveries all cannot be seen with the naked eye. the effects of some of these discoveries can be seen i.e. the nuclear bomb but the actual discoveries cannot necessarily be seen by casual or natural observation. From that standpoint there is nothing new. No one can point to something that is actually new under the sun in terms of man's life and his existence in relationship to the physical world.
As in the first blog Solomon is setting forth the monotony of life on this earth. Many times people who struggle with addiction do not "see" the world as Solomon has presented it. They see it in terms of hurts, disrespect, slights by others and the "relentless" cycle of compulsivity: acting in, acting out. Appearing to manage life and then having it spin out of control. Solomon wants his readers to face the emptiness of life and accept that this is human kind's place in the world. Until we can accept life as it really is we can't change. I pray that those who struggle with addiction and compulsivity and read this will be able to find themselves in step one. "We are powerless and our lives hae become unmanageable." Our time is up for this week, so until next week: "Keep coming back it works if you wrk it and you're worth it."
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Ecclesiastes:An Introduction 1:1-4
This is the first of an installment that I have entitled "the Solomon Project." This will be a rather ambitious attempt to comment on the wisdom books of the Old Testament on a yearly basis. My desire is to take the truths of the text and draw out insights and parallels that apply to today and particularly to those who suffer from addiction and compulsivity. I work primarily with sexual addiction but hopefully it will apply to any who struggle with addiction.
I will work to develop the applications upon a broad platform. The wisdom found in these books of the Old Testament can have a broad application so that any who are on a path of recovery can find help. Whether they be of the evangelical christian faith, more moderate christian beliefs, the Jewish faith or simply a belief in a higher power.
This week we will look at the purpose of the book. and the first 5 verses. Ecclesiastes appears to have been written by King Solomon. Some dispute this but he is probably the only person who could fit the profile presented in the book. Solomon brought the kingdom of Israel to its zenith. He says that he basically pursued every avenue of sensual pleasure and pursuit he desired from acquiring wives to massive building projects and the acqusition of land. He starts out talking about the emptiness of life and ends by talking about an adherence to "God's laws" We will explore that concept more later. The book revolves around the idea that there is no meaning to life to be found from this worldly point of view but God can give life perspective.
The opening lines talk about vanity of vanities. This concept may be better described as emptiness or the movement of breath or the wind. What does he start out with? Work. Work and the value of it. The writer asks the rhetorical question what good is it? Secondly he states that one generation comes and another goes. Finally the sun rises and sets. All these things have to do with endless reciprocity--over and over and over.
The writer also uses the concept of generations coming and going. Just as the work is futile also the passing of generations is a continual movement of people in and out of life. There is a futility of this movement nothing changes. Birth life and death are the same for everyone. Let me pose this question: How many of us actually were acquainted with our great grandparents? Probably not many. I did not know mine on my father's side and a barely knew my greatgrandmother on my mother's side. Generations come and go but many times we do not even have a connection to them relationally We are connected by genetics but not by relationship. W all want to make a lasting impact on our families and yet many of us do not even know the names of our great grandparents.
Those who stuggle with addiction many times attempt to escape this seeming monotony. Surely there will be something that will help to cope with the day to day processes of life and if not to cope at least to escape the monotony. But accepting reality as it really is, is part of recovery. Those of an evangelical persuastion may want to escape this concept of reality by immediately transferring their focus to heavenly things. Solomon does not allow us to do that. He ties his argument to the fact that in this life we are bound to this body and this world. We must deal with the realities of that. Step one of any twelve step program has to do with the the fact that we are powerless and life has become unmanageable. the emptiness of life is not devoid of conundrums--inexplicable occrrences that affect our lives. These things must be accepted for us to move forward. Our time is up for this week. So until next week "Keep coming back, it works if you work it and you're worth it."
I will work to develop the applications upon a broad platform. The wisdom found in these books of the Old Testament can have a broad application so that any who are on a path of recovery can find help. Whether they be of the evangelical christian faith, more moderate christian beliefs, the Jewish faith or simply a belief in a higher power.
This week we will look at the purpose of the book. and the first 5 verses. Ecclesiastes appears to have been written by King Solomon. Some dispute this but he is probably the only person who could fit the profile presented in the book. Solomon brought the kingdom of Israel to its zenith. He says that he basically pursued every avenue of sensual pleasure and pursuit he desired from acquiring wives to massive building projects and the acqusition of land. He starts out talking about the emptiness of life and ends by talking about an adherence to "God's laws" We will explore that concept more later. The book revolves around the idea that there is no meaning to life to be found from this worldly point of view but God can give life perspective.
The opening lines talk about vanity of vanities. This concept may be better described as emptiness or the movement of breath or the wind. What does he start out with? Work. Work and the value of it. The writer asks the rhetorical question what good is it? Secondly he states that one generation comes and another goes. Finally the sun rises and sets. All these things have to do with endless reciprocity--over and over and over.
The writer also uses the concept of generations coming and going. Just as the work is futile also the passing of generations is a continual movement of people in and out of life. There is a futility of this movement nothing changes. Birth life and death are the same for everyone. Let me pose this question: How many of us actually were acquainted with our great grandparents? Probably not many. I did not know mine on my father's side and a barely knew my greatgrandmother on my mother's side. Generations come and go but many times we do not even have a connection to them relationally We are connected by genetics but not by relationship. W all want to make a lasting impact on our families and yet many of us do not even know the names of our great grandparents.
Those who stuggle with addiction many times attempt to escape this seeming monotony. Surely there will be something that will help to cope with the day to day processes of life and if not to cope at least to escape the monotony. But accepting reality as it really is, is part of recovery. Those of an evangelical persuastion may want to escape this concept of reality by immediately transferring their focus to heavenly things. Solomon does not allow us to do that. He ties his argument to the fact that in this life we are bound to this body and this world. We must deal with the realities of that. Step one of any twelve step program has to do with the the fact that we are powerless and life has become unmanageable. the emptiness of life is not devoid of conundrums--inexplicable occrrences that affect our lives. These things must be accepted for us to move forward. Our time is up for this week. So until next week "Keep coming back, it works if you work it and you're worth it."
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