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Ecclesiastes 7

7 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
    And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
²Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
    After all, everyone dies—
    so the living should take this to heart.
³Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for sadness has a refining influence on us.
⁴A wise person thinks a lot about death,
    while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

⁵Better to be criticized by a wise person
    than to be praised by a fool.
⁶A fool’s laughter is quickly gone,
    like thorns crackling in a fire.
    This also is meaningless.

⁷Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.

⁸Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.

⁹Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.

¹⁰Don’t long for “the good old days.”
This is not wise.

¹¹Wisdom is even better when you have money.
Both are a benefit as you go through life.
¹²Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
but only wisdom can save your life.

¹³Accept the way God does things,
    for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
¹⁴Enjoy prosperity while you can,
    but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
    Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

¹⁵I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. ¹⁶So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? ¹⁷On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? ¹⁸Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

¹⁹One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

²⁰Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

²¹Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. ²²For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

²³I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. ²⁴Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. ²⁵I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

²⁶I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

²⁷“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. ²⁸Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! ²⁹But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

Ecclesiastes 7

Dear God, this was a tough read this morning. A couple of things were really good, but some of it I receive with skepticism.

Here’s what I liked. Verse 13:

¹³Accept the way God does things,
for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I have had times in my life when I was really disappointed in you. I thought I had done my part, but you didn’t do yours. But then I got to a point where I just submitted to a life that isn’t mine anyway. I do my best in each moment. And sometimes I fail. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes I am sinful. But you know my heart. You know my efforts and my intentions. So why is the path so crooked. Well, the truth is that crooked paths strengthen me. They strengthen us all. They also can force us in a direction we didn’t think we wanted to go. We wanted to go straight ahead and keep pressing on, but perhaps you have something for us to accomplish by turning right and then left. Perhaps even backtracking a little. Instead of trying to straighten the path, it is best to just worshipfully walk it in faith.

The first half of verse 28 reminds me of the U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” ²⁸Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Frankly, I always struggled even with the U2 song. I think perhaps the song makes the same mistake Solomon makes here. He is looking for this peace that comes from feeling significant. He is making his own life and what he does with it an idol.

Father, idols are not worthy of our worship. Not even the idol of my own life. And I really believe it–that my life can be an idol to myself. I watched a video at Rotary on Monday of a woman in our club who went to visit a place in Tanzania where our club has been part of putting water catchment systems and bathrooms in schools. The children in the video were absolutely precious. They had so little. But as I looked at them and wanted to pity them I couldn’t help but think about our children here and the rampant anxiety and mental health issues they are currently facing. Who’s to say that those children in Tanzania are worse off than our children in the grand scheme of things? When you look at them, are they really less fortunate, or are they, perhaps, more fortunate? I don’t know. But I know that I want to worship you today. I want to consider my life worth nothing to me. I want to be part of your plan to bring your kingdom and your will into this current earth. Show me how to do that.

I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

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Posted by John D. Willome on October 16, 2024 in Ecclesiastes

Tags: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", U2

Chronic Dissatisfaction

21 Nov

From *Simply Sacred* by Gary Thomas – 11/21

Dear God, I started this a few days ago, but never got to come back and finish it. Okay, I never prioritized making the time to come back and finish it. But now it’s the morning after Thanksgiving, and I am wanting to spend a little bit of time with you before I get going with my day.

My wife and I were talking about a month ago about our “bucket list.” The list of things we want to do or places we want to visit or things we want to accomplish before we “kick the bucket.” It’s odd, but I told her I have no such list. If I were to be on my death bed right now, the only thing that I think would be on my mind is how it would impact my wife and children. I don’t think I would have any places I wish I had gone, things I wish I had done, or accomplishments left unfinished. Well, I take that back. I have a few writing projects I’ve started but haven’t finished. I really do need to focus and get those completed. I just might feel bad if I didn’t finish those. But those are also things I think you’ve put on my heart to work on. But as far as experiences and places visited, there just isn’t anything in that realm that I care about.

I wish I could say that I feel that way because I am a great Christian and I don’t have a need for travel or experiences. But the truth is that I’m kind of lazy and not very ambitious. However, I do think there is a contentment in my spirit that comes from your Spirit ministering to me as I get to know you and spend time with you. I think part of it might be 1.) you have unreasonably blessed me with a wife who is a delight, and 2.) you have given me a life that pretty much wants for nothing even though I would consider myself solidly middle class to lower-middle class. But you have given me so much, it makes it easier to accept what I have. With that being said, I know people who have what I have and more, and they are still looking.

That makes me think of the U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Even in the last verse, when they acknowledge they haven’t even found what they are looking for even in you:

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I’m still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Oh my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

This used to really bother me about this song. I know Bono is a Christian and believes in you. Where is this continued search still coming from after he found you? And I don’t know exactly what he means by this, but one thing it could mean is that it’s one thing to know this about you, and even believe it, but it’s another thing to develop a relationship with you that will allow you to minister to me and develop my soul.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I offer you this day. I thank you for ministering peace to my soul. I confess the times when I allow my heart to dwell on the cares of this world and I don’t weed the soil of my heart well. I am sorry for that. That is when my heart is unstilled. So help me to enjoy you today and to embrace fully, warts and all, the life and path you have given me to walk.

I pray this joyously as your servant and worshipper,

Amen

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Posted by John D. Willome on November 21, 2023 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

Tags: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Gary Thomas, Simply Sacred, U2

2 Peter 1:4-11

15 Mar

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:4-11

Dear God, there is this interesting fine line we walk in this life, and I think maybe it comes down to a simple concept: meaninglessness/meaningfulness. I watched a movie last night that seemed to revolve around this idea. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once was an interesting look at what people use to find meaning in this world. Now I would say that the lesson of Job is that the only real meaning for our lives is serving you. It’s about being in relationship with you and then being used by you in the world. That’s where I find my meaning and where I find my peace. You are my God, and I worship you.

What I saw in the movie last night was a lot of meaninglessness and despair. I’m not sure any of the characters knew what they were living for. Frankly, it was hard to watch. And even the resolution at the end didn’t really answer the meaninglessness question. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it as much as everyone else did. By the end, it felt like they got past the bad hump in front of them, but I am not sure anything really changes.

I was talking recently with a friend who is having marital issues. He went through a separation from his wife recently, the reconciled and things were in a honeymoon phase for a while, but now they seem to be settling into their old, pre-separation patterns again. It makes me think of the U2 song, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Father, beyond anything else in my life, I really do find my peace in you. I find my meaning in you. You’ve given me work to do today. And should my life end today, it’s okay because it’s been lived for you and you did with my time here what you wanted. It’s not about my bucket list. It’s not about what I did or didn’t accomplish. It’s about what use I was to you in this whole scheme of time. And some would read this and say how sad it is, but I would counter that those people haven’t put their lives in perspective. In the billions and billions of human lives that have been lived over the thousands or tens of thousands of years, mine is just one. It’s so small. And that’s okay. Because one day I will be one of those souls in heaven, worshipping you. I pray that others I know might find the peace that I’ve found through your love, your grace, your acceptance, and your plan for my life.

I pray this under the authority of my Triune God,

Amen

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Posted by John D. Willome on March 15, 2023 in 2 Peter

Tags: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Everything Everywhere All At Once, U2

“Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2

23 Nov

“Where the Streets Have No Name”
U2

I want to run, I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside
I wanna reach out and touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain

Where the streets have no name, oh oh
Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We’re still building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there, I go there with you
It’s all I can do

The city’s a flood
And our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain

Our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh and I see love
See our love turn to rust

We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh when I go there
I go there with you
It’s all I can do

Dear God, I woke up yesterday, Thanksgiving morning, and came across a video of an interview with Eugene Peterson (translator of The Message version of the Bible among other things) and Bono (lead singer for U2). They were talking about the impact and importance of the Psalms on their lives. Somehow, and I can’t remember the train of thought that got me there–perhaps it was mentioned in the interview–this song came up and I wanted to spend some time with it and you this morning.

This has always been one of my favorite U2 songs, if not my favorite. Sure, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “God–Part 2,” and “In the Name of Love” are classics that are great, but I think it’s the guitar riff that starts the song that draws me in. Football teams should storm the field to it. It’s just this great little inspiring thing. But I have to confess that I’ve never had any idea what the song was about.

I decided to use Google to search for something that anyone had written about the meaning of the song. I came across this website. Here is this person’s explanation (some of the grammar isn’t perfect for American English, but you get the idea):

There’s a mith about the streets of the city of Belfast in the Northern Ireland. You can know the person’s religion and income of a person only knowing the name of the street where the person live. In Etiopia, where Bono and his wife Ali Hewson are went for an Humanitarian visit, all the streets don’t have name. And Bono sees that this little thing leads to less separation between the people. Less differences and more integration. The lyrics of this song starts all from here.

That explanation really helps to unlock the whole song for me. I couldn’t tell if the place where streets have no name was Heaven or what. But this myth from Belfast is like the keycode that unlocks the cipher. I needed it.

So with that new knowledge, I want to go through this song slowly and see what you might have for me through the wisdom of some fellow Christian sojourners.

Anger and judging others can get so fatiguing. I get tired of other people doing it, but I do it too. I do it to relatives, friends, people I see in the store, and even politicians. I judge them through the lens through which I enter the world. Notice that the second line doesn’t accuse other people of doing this. He is pointing the finger at himself: “I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.” And he knows what will be there in that place that is free from judgment and prejudice. He will feel sunlight. Evil loves the dark, but truth loves the light. The dust cloud of dirtiness and obfuscation will be gone. And he will get out of the poisonous environment that he’s leaving behind.

I think this chorus is referring to the idea that we will successfully build things, but then, in our humanness, we will burn it down–especially love. If we can just go to that place where we accept and love each other with your grace and your love then we will have arrived in a whole new world.

The city’s a flood
And our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain

Our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh and I see love
See our love turn to rust

The separations we put between ourselves–where we live, worship, eat out, shop, work, etc.–can’t help but put walls between us. I went back and watched the original music video for this song. They filmed it in a rough part of Los Angeles from the roof of a building the was probably three to five stories tall. Word got out and people from all over the ~~city~~ region came. Rich, poor, black, white, male, female, employed, unemployed, etc. all gathered as one to watch them perform this song. So many showed up that the police had to shut down the filming, but not until after they got some neat footage. But in that moment, no one cared about the address except for the fact that that’s where everyone was.

When we live lives apart and when we don’t allow ourselves to understand what is happening in Central America that is driving refugees to our border, then our love most certainly turns to rust. They have their country (i.e. their street name) and we have our country (i.e. our street name). I’m not suggesting we open up our borders, but I am suggesting that we think more about how to improve their street and reinvigorate our love for others.

Father, help me to apply this to my own life. Help me to apply it to my family relationships. Help me to be sensitive to it in my community and to those who live outside my community. And please don’t let my love turn to rust.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

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Posted by John D. Willome on November 23, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

Tags: "Where the Streets Have No Name", Bono, Eugene Peterson, The Edge, U2