During the beautiful weather of the recent past we spent a week on the Isle of Skye. The island was breathtaking in its beauty. And of all that we enjoyed, the boat trip from Elgol over to Loch Crouisk was the highlight. The majestic Cuillin range stretched out before us we sat by that isolated stretch of water.
I scrambled up the side of Sgurr na Stri to gain a more elevated perspective on this vista and sat on the huge stone slabs on the hillside. The aim was to drink in this moment, with these expansive views, until my heart was full. I wanted to freeze frame the picture in my mind and heart to take it with me. However, no amount of sitting before that grand vista brought the fullness that I longed for. Please do not misunderstand me. We had the best holiday in the most remarkable location. However, there was a little pang of disquiet in my heart as I sat on that gabbro rock.
I thought the other day that it was a kind of ‘Ecclesiastes moment’!
What do I mean?
Well, tucked away in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament is a small book written by King Solomon called Ecclesiastes. With disarming honesty he describes his quest to find meaning and fulfilment in this world. With wealth beyond most people’s imagining, he denies himself nothing that comes across his path. He sets off on sensual, intellectual and aesthetic adventures to satisfy the cravings within his heart. His favourite phrase centres on exploring all of life “under the sun”. The book is a tract for our times. In my opinion, every 21st century man or woman should read it with serious intent. I’ll leave you to discover what Solomon’s conclusion was to the true purpose of life!
However, I turn to the sentence that has occupied my mind and heart for a couple of weeks now.
In chapter 1:8, Solomon says, “The eye never has enough of seeing…”
Indeed, Solomon will go on to comment, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired…” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). And yet no matter how much he surveyed life in this world he was never fully satisfied.
In essence Solomon will go on to say that if we cannot find ultimate fulfilment in life under the sun, we need to look above it.
That basic truth caused C.S. Lewis to write, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world” (Mere Christianity).
If Lewis is correct, then the question that follows is how do we bridge the gap? By turning in faith to Jesus. He came with one central message - “Repent, because the Kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). His teaching focused on bringing the rule and reign of God to humanity. Life in that kingdom begins now as we pray, “your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). But it does have a “not yet” aspect to it as we wait for the eternal dimension to come to fruition when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever" (Revelation 11:15).
This is the life that God intended for us at the beginning and this is the world he created us to live in where our greatest desires would find their fulfilment in him. It is captured beautifully in my favourite hymn:
The sands of time are sinking
The dawn of heaven breaks
The summer morn I've sighed for
The fair, sweet morn awakes
Dark, dark hath been the midnight
But dayspring is at hand
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel's land
Oh, Christ, he is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory glory dwelleth
In Immanuel's land.
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