There is something very profound and very relevant in the Bible: a word that speaks to your every mood, problem or situation. Some Bible truths are whimsical. Some are profound. Some are eloquent, such as “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Prov. 25:11)
The Bible book of ECCLESIASTICS (“the preacher) is filled with wisdom. Here follows a passage on aging: Eccl 12-3-5, 7
“…in the day when those who watch the house tremble (limbs quiver), powerful men are bent (legs bowed) the women (molars)
who grind stop because they are too few those who look through the windows dim (eye sight fails,) when the doors onto the
street are shut (constipation) the sound of the mill becomes dim (the voice weakens), one rises at the sound of a bird (sleep is
difficult). all the daughters of the song become low (hearing fails, and the joy of music is diminished) when one fears heights
and terrors in the road (mobility is difficult) the almond tree blossoms (hair turns white), the locust tree droops (erectile
dysfunction) and the caper fails (Viagra doesn’t work)…Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall
return unto God who gave it.”
Life is a challenge. Life is miraculous. Life is wonderful. That there is such a reality as life, itself is miraculous and wonderful. Childhood can be filled with terrors and dragons born of shyness. Youth becomes a struggle for identity and competition for a mate. Young adulthood demands skills and answers to major challenges: how to rear children keeping them off of dope and out of jail. Maturity presents the window to fulfillment…but also opens onto the courtyard where one’s aging parents are starting to fail and need to receive from their children. Age is a time for the erotic dance of serenity and pain; for enjoying fine wines of memory, and satisfying opportunities to love and give… together with the need to glide out of life into the hands of God and mother earth. Prepare for the next stage!
Leave a Reply