It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. – Ecclesiastes 7:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 16, 2013): Ecclesiastes 7

Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy about the then new constitution of the United States of America. In the letter he makes this comment – “Our new constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Actually, the quote about the certainty of death and taxes did not originate with Franklin himself. It was a quote from a line in a play written by Christopher Bullock in 1757 entitled “The Cobbler of Preston.” The play itself was a farce, but we recognize the ring of truth in the comment. In a world that is filled with constant change (and even 250 years ago, change was the one constant that Benjamin Franklin experienced in life) the only things that are permanent are death and taxes. Both come on us whether or not we are looking for them.

Solomon seemed to know the dangers of the feast. Today we often use the phrase that we want to “drown our sorrows” – to forget, even if it is just for the moment, about the demands of life. If we were honest, most of us drown our sorrows not just with liquid refreshment, but with a constant barrage of activities that allow us to forget the sorrows of life. We wall ourselves in and never give a glance to the unpleasant future that each one of us is walking towards, until that moment when death finally overtakes us. But when that moment comes, often we find ourselves woefully unprepared. 

In ancient times, the body of the deceased person would often be buried quickly, but the “party” of mourning would go on for days. It was a time when friends could come and sit and bring comfort to those that mourned. But it was also a time of reflection, of looking death square in the face and realizing the future destiny that comes to everyone. And it was a time to consider what death will mean to us when it comes.

Today, we are uncomfortable with death. We rarely speak seriously of it even though we recognize the certainty of it. Houses of mourning often are transformed into just one more experience where our sorrows can again be drowned and death, even as it sits in the room with us, can be ignored. But there is wisdom in The Teacher’s words. It is a better thing to contemplate the things that we cannot avoid, in order we can be fully prepared for the moment that we cannot avoid.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 8