Investigating the Bible: Assumptions and attitudes

Before he was a journalist, Tim Russert worked as an intern for New York Senator Patrick Moynihan. He recalled an incident that occurred when Moynihan was first running for office. Moynihan had previously served as ambassador to the United Nations, and toured a newly built mental hospital. He was tired afterward and found a vacant room to nap. When he awoke, he discovered there was no handle on the inside of the door, so he called the front desk and said, “Could you please get me out of here? This is Ambassador Moynihan.” The desk clerk said, “Sure and Winston Churchill was here yesterday.” He didn’t get out until his driver came looking and the desk clerk realized his mistake.

Ecclesiastes is a short book in the Old Testament, and some may question its inclusion as scripture. The words can be so depressing: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, King James Version used throughout). Better than a person alive or dead, is he “…which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 4:3). The author calls himself ‘The Preacher’; he was elderly King Solomon. He concludes that each person carries within seeds of hope that our outlook and attitude unlocks.

The preacher is honest. He often says “under the sun,” and when he looks at what happens here, he sees good and bad. His language is honest. “I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). “For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the sun? For all his days are sorrows…; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22,23).

However, the preacher advises readers to enjoy life, to not let darkness triumph. There is “…A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;” “Wherefore, I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4, 22).

The preacher says trust in God. Before the New Testament, the preacher relied on the promises he knew: “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.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14).

There’s a story of a grandfather sitting on his front porch with his granddaughter. It was before freeways, when there were slow, country roads. A man driving by stopped, and asked the old man, “What kind of town is this?” The grandfather asked, “What is the town like where you live?” The man said, “It’s terrible! People gossip; they don’t help each other. I’m eager to leave!” The grandfather said, “Well, sadly this town is like that.” In a little while, another tourist stopped with the same question to the old man, and again, the grandpa asked him about his town. “Oh, my town is great! People lend a helping hand and greet you whenever you come to town.” The grandpa said, “Well, our town is just like that.” The granddaughter was puzzled. “Why did you tell one man our town is terrible and the other man that our town is wonderful?” He looked at her kindly and said, “No matter where you live, you take your attitude with you and, that is what makes it terrible or wonderful.”

David Carlson Pastor (yes, that is his last name, not his profession) lives in Oregon and is a graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota (M.Div., M.Th.).