Monday, December 4: Ecclesiastes 9- Sin destroys, that is what it does.

Sometimes this book seems so fatalistic and then there are words that spawn thought. Today’s reading is a classic example of both aspects; the words that spawned thought came at the very end for me.

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good (17-18).

Reading these words, I feel like I am reading the pages of the news.

There is so much shouting in Washington (my country’s capital) these days but nothing happens. I regularly wonder where are wise who can actually govern, who can see a problem and actually work to solve it. Instead today all I hear are different people yelling at each other and calling each other names. It is a disgrace, if you ask me.

And wisdom is better than weapons of war… With the destructive firepower countries now have in their arsenals –especially when you add in nuclear weapons –it becomes a bit more frightening when leaders rattle their sabers. One wrong move could destroy soooo many lives!

Lord where are the wise people who can sit in back rooms and ease tensions? Oh Lord, please send them!

Maybe these people are around, but the news looking for sound bites picks up on the boisterous saber rattling? 

Lord, please let cooler heads prevail…

And this brings me to the final words of verse 18, but one sinner destroys much good. How true this is. My mind calls up all the lone gun-men and terrorist-truck-drivers we have seen lately. How much evil and how much good they destroy. They destroy people’s lives leaving a wake of dead and hurt. They create fear… fear in everyday life, like riding in a city bike lane or attending a concert. They cause us to judge whole people groups rather than realize that bad people come in all shapes and sizes and don’t represent the whole.

And I have seen this on smaller scales too, where a sinner destroys a marriage and family. A broken trust destroys a family, friendship or business.

Sin destroys, that is what it does…

O God, every one of us sins. Some sins destroy much more than others. Yes I pray for forgiveness for my own sins, but I also pray for the strength of Your Holy Spirit to avoid sin, especially the sins that destroy in a flash so much. Oh God, I don’t want to be the sinner who destroys much good. Cleanse me Lord, cleanse me… I pray in Jesus name. Amen.