Phi Kappa Theta celebrates spiritual curiosity and development in its various and assorted expressions. Although founded as a Catholic Fraternity, our brotherhood has become increasingly diverse in its spiritual perspectives, but it is still open to considering and reflecting upon spiritual themes drawn from the Bible.
One sacred text directly related to the problems of life is the Book of Ecclesiastes, penned by a Philosopher-King whom many refer to as one of the wisest men in history.
A Short Summary Of Ecclesiastes
In Ecclesiastes, “King Solomon takes a hard look at the human enterprise – an enterprise in which he himself has fully participated. He sees a busy, busy human ant hill in mad pursuit of many things, trying now this, now that, laboring away as if by dint of effort humans could master the world, lay bare its deepest secrets, change its fundamental structures, somehow burst through the bounds of human limitations, build for themselves enduring monuments, control their destiny, achieve a state of secure and lasting happiness – people laboring at life with an overblown conception of human powers and consequently pursuing unrealistic hopes and aspirations.”
NIV Study Bible Notes
SOME ECCLESIASTES QUOTATIONS
- 1:4: "Generations come and generations go…"
- 1:11: "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."
- 2:22: "What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?"
- 7:2: "For death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."
- 8:17: "No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it."
- 12:13: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Revere God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
Summary
Live this mysterious life well, and keep God at the center of everything. This short life is a dot on the timeline of eternity, but how you choose to invest this dot will affect the entire timeline.
The Thrust and Themes of this Book
Human beings cannot, in and of themselves, do anything of lasting value or enduring significance.
Human wisdom, in itself, is incapable of solving problems or making sense of the mess.
Human experience complicates what we believe to be true; life is confusing even when placed against the backdrop of our knowledge of God.
Human existence can end tomorrow, rendering any real control or future planning to merely a perception.
Summary
Therefore, my response to these realities is to embrace life for what it is, not expecting too much from it, while living life to its fullest. And without setting unrealistic goals for this life, love God and people well, for as long as I am here on this Earth.
