World Unyielding

Under the Sun, Survey #2

I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:3

With all the wisdom given to him, King Solomon lamented the grief that accompanied it. Awakened to the profound sorrow of life, he then sought respite. Here are the heartfelt resolutions of a king. He seeks two paths of escape. The first is to soothe his body with the finer things in life. The second is to go searching for fun. Both served the larger purpose of seeing what is good for people to do before life on earth expires.

This approach was later found in ancient Greek philosophy and is not too far removed from the thinking of many today. Hedonism is a gross indulgence in pleasure. Think of drunken feasting to the point of vomiting. Once the limit is reached and dinner forcefully returns up the esophagus, it’s back to the table of celebration for another course. More refined forms of hedonism also drew attention, such as that popularised by Epicurus and his followers (known as Epicureans). They pursued a more moderate approach to pleasure-seeking. They did not want to experience more pain in their pursuit of pleasure, so they avoided excessive indulgence. Still, the hedonistic pillars stood firm, as they do to this day. It is largely accepted that societal norms provide guardrails for the current pursuit of pleasure. However, the fluidity of these norms is plainer than ever. This raises the question: how many gross acts of hedonism are disguised as societal norms today?

Count all the luxuries afforded to a person in the Western World. All the varieties of food supplied to a nearby store, yes, even cooked and delivered right to a person’s door. Familiarity has bred contempt. Such freedom of choice and delicate treatment of the palate was the reserve of kings in ages past. The pursuit of pleasure has become more accessible and has yet to lose its charm. A fleeting moment of enjoyment has never been more attainable. How often is a moment’s pleasure within arm’s reach? Longingly dreaming of the next episode of sensory overload, there is hardly an inconvenience that stands between the pleasure and the pleasure-seeker. Sensuality for the eyes to feast upon is no further than a click away. New food, drink, clothing, and entertainment—all a click away and but a moment’s delay before gratifying the body.

Consider King Solomon’s wealth of choice. He desired to reach a higher plane of enjoyment. It did not work. The king who had a thousand wives and concubines was not satisfied with whatever enjoyment that brought. A man might bemoan his lack of a companion, never mind a thousand. But hedonistic abandon in the comfort of one’s own bedroom is the convenience of many today. A young man has access to sexual content beyond what Solomon could have dreamed of, all under the umbrella of adult entertainment, falsely so-called. In reality, children also have access to the content. Soon they too are trained in the hedonistic self-pleasure of today. And how many are left more empty now than when they first began? Pleasure-chasing down the rabbit hole of lust gradually proves underwhelming. Once this reality hits, despondency is soon trailing behind.

What is the solution settled for? To stick with the theme of sexuality for a moment more, individuals delve deeper into darker themes. Despite the resurgence of political conservatism in the United States, the popularity of progressive themes in adult entertainment only increases. Behind closed doors, pleasure-seeking leads people to depictions of sexuality that are further and further from God’s design. Societal norms legitimise and celebrate forms of sexuality on the basis of pleasure. The same pleasure that is the root of happiness and purpose, supposedly. How did that turn out? Not well, as indicated by depression rates in the Western World.

Does the solution to pleasure lie within us? King Solomon searched his own heart. He strove all he could and gained a diverse assortment of delights. He admitted, “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.” Satisfaction ought to be attained. Not one mode of self-indulgence was withheld from him. Stores of silver and gold. Live performances of the most skilled musicians on demand. Abundant crops and livestock. Real estate and no lack of servants to tend to his property. He beheld all that he strove for and was joyful. But the joy was short-lived. Boredom set in. He saw it all as pointless and stopped striving for more. Lasting satisfaction proved as elusive as ever. So elusive that it evoked the dire conclusion, “There was no profit under the sun.”

Existing for no greater purpose than experiencing pleasure is a fatal trap. While the ideological onslaught of hedonism confronted the early church, the Apostle Paul warned that difficult times would come. This permissive strain of Greek thought was potent. He went on to explain the impending difficulty, saying, “men will be lovers of themselves” and “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Timothy, a young man who received these words by letter, may have cast his mind to the cultural habits of the first century—behaviours that were governed by hedonism. He was even warned that some of the pleasure-seekers have “a form of godliness”. The pursuit of pleasure had not only captured the religious and irreligious alike but also those who identified as Christian.

There is talk of “not-guilty” pleasures. The sort that leaves people thinking themselves justified in the sin they choose. Yes, certain means of seeking pleasure may involve objectively neutral actions. Rather, it is the intent behind the actions that causes it to be sin—the intent of living for all that is under the sun with no thought for the God who is above. Solomon warned, saying, “There was no profit under the sun.” He found out the hard way. In the secular society of today, people follow the pattern of Epicurus in reducing our existence to mere physical processes. So why not ignore God, who is spiritual? And while ignoring God, what better remedy than another spike of pleasure-induced endorphins to alleviate today’s pain? And while ignoring God, what nobler quest than to explore all that this world has to offer in a chase for supreme enjoyment? Start with the smaller things to alleviate the pain, and then move to the greater things that promise greater pleasure. Another bottle of wine. Another high-calorie takeaway. Another Netflix binge. Another outfit. Another night out. Another person to call your own. Another beach holiday. Another landscape to behold. Another life-changing experience. What does it really accomplish for you?

Headstrong men and women alike desire to carve out their own meaning in life. They strive against the persistent threat of pointlessness. They shamelessly tread the path of self-discovery, experimenting with the pleasures of life in an effort to establish their so-called true identity. Results contradict what they first hypothesised, but they continue their research. Dare we question their means of pleasure and what fulfillment is achieved thereby, lest we offend and undermine a person’s identity? We might discredit the very thing a person is trying to establish. Whether a person’s hunt for satisfaction goes interrupted or uninterrupted, the end is sure. As the sense of enjoyment drains away, so does their sense of being. But failure is not an option. It would be an admission of defeat to sigh, saying, ‘There was no profit under the sun.’ It would be a sign of weakness to return to our Maker who is willing to overlook times of ignorance and pointless wandering. God who forgives sin and rescues from the desires of the world, so that sinners may find eternal enjoyment in Him through Jesus Christ.

If you have everything that is to be had in this world, what profit does it bring? Eventually, you die, and then your spirit returns to God who gave it. And what account will we give? The sun demarcates a divide. Nothing below it is worth a thing unless you have Him who is above it. Be sure not to cheat yourself out of the inexhaustible pleasure that God alone freely gives in His Son.