The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness, but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. – Ecclesiastes 2:14

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2022): Ecclesiastes 2

April 1 has become known over parts of the world as April Fool's Day, a day of playing harmless tricks on other people. But the roots of April Fool's Day are a little obscure. The day has been around for centuries, so we have several theories as to why we celebrate such a strange day. One theory is that in the Middle Ages, New Year's Day was celebrated on March 25, and it was a weeklong celebration. But March 25 was not the only day set aside for celebrating the New Year. Much like in our culture, where most of us celebrate New Year's on January 1, there were other groups celebrating different days. In our contemporary society, Chinese New Year's Day floats in late January and the first part of February. (In 2022, Chinese New Year's was on February 1, and in 2023 it will be celebrated on January 22, while in 2024, the celebration will be held on February 10) or some Ukrainians still celebrate the Old or Orthodox New Year on January 14. Different parts of the population set aside different days to celebrate the coming of the New Year. In the Middle Ages, March 25 started the New Year celebration, and the theory is that April 1 ended the festival with a day to make fun of all the people who celebrated a day other than March 25 as their New Year. The theory has holes, but it is one of the theories about the rise of our day dedicated to the local tricksters.

Whether it is the origin of our day of fools or not, the reality is that the date on which we celebrate New Year's doesn't matter. I might celebrate on January 1, but I have friends who celebrate turning the page on January 14 and others who celebrate Chinese New Year, a floating day at the end of January or the first part of February. But the day we might celebrate as the date of the beginning of the New Year doesn't change our lives in the least.

Qoheleth looks at the wise and the foolish of his day. He argues that the wise might understand life better while a fool stumbles around in the dark, but the reality is the same fate will overtake them both. Whether wise or foolish, we all share an expiry date on our lives, and wisdom doesn't change that, nor does celebrating New Year's on the most culturally accepted day.

Qoheleth's point is that nothing we do changes our ultimate reality unless there is a God. It doesn't matter if you are good or bad, wise or a fool, the only thing that changes our reality is a knowledge of God and the reality of eternity after this life is over. Without that sure knowledge, as Qoheleth insists, everything is meaningless.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3