The fortunate ones

“And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, who are still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 4:2, 3

There is a wonderful book in the Old Testament called Ecclesiastes (the Preacher). One of the Preacher’s key insights is that life is made up of moments, events, or seasons that are fleeting, like breath or smoke (often translated, with a negative spin, as ‘vanity’ or ‘meaningless’ in English Bibles) and that, whatever our goals in life, trying to hold them tightly is as ineffective as attempting to grasp hold of the wind. Winter gives way to spring, spring to summer, summer to autumn, and autumn to winter again, each season in turn needing to be refreshed. Every season is beautiful in its time, but becomes wearisome and in need of rest if extended too long. Moreover, grace can be found in the seasons we might fear or try (but inevitably fail) to avoid, as well as in the seasons we might welcome or seek. Grace may be found, even in times of war, and in the time of our dying.

In one of his sermons, the Preacher suggests that the dead are more fortunate than the living, and that those who have not been born are most fortunate of all. These are not dark thoughts, nor a glorification of dying. But they challenge us to reconsider our stance in relation to our predecessors and our descendants.

On this day of Remembrance, how might the Preacher’s insight help shape how we remember those who died in war, and how we re-commit ourselves to those who will experience war and peace after we are gone?