Reflection: In Chapters 11 and 12, the Teacher paints a vivid picture of what it is to be young and light-hearted, and an even more vivid one of what it is to age. Both are poetic, and both are cautionary. Difficult days lie ahead, and the wise person – old or young – cannot be heedless.
“Youth and vigour are meaningless”, are the words that conclude chapter 11. Where is true satisfaction to be found?
I am reminded of the oft-repeated words of the missionary Jim Elliot, who was killed at the age of 28 by the Huaorani people of Ecuador he was trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Question: What does it mean to you to be old/young? What makes it hard for you or for those close to you to remember God?
Prayer: Creator God, even to my old age and grey hairs, you are the one who will sustain and carry me. Show me where true value and satisfaction are to be found in this life, and help me to help others find it too. Amen.