Life is Hevel, so make every breath count.

- Benjamin C. Verar

All of it [life] is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.- Teacher in Ecclesiastes

This guy doesn’t seem like the life of the party, and he is definitely being honest about how he feels. For the self-proclaimed “realists” in the world, this book seems to get them. The teacher might sound down if we look at that one line, but ultimately we are being taught that life is random and uncontrollable (hevel: vapor, smoke – temporary, fleeting, an enigma, a paradox). We are asked how do we live well under these circumstances?

For the author of Ecclesiastes, any attempt to try and control our lives is pointless. But life itself is not. There is still joy to be found in enjoying good company and a good meal, in working with our hands and living purposefully in community, and despite the hevel, trusting that God is in control of things we can’t begin to understand.

The book of Ecclesiastes is the author’s response to Proverbs. From their perspective, life isn’t so simple as fearing God and choosing wisdom. Life is fleeting and unpredictable and our existence is a blip of time, so is there a point? In the words of Benjamin Verar “Life is Hevel, so make every breath count” it just might surprise you. (Practicing the Way - Prayer Practice)