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A couple of years ago, our family was on a mission trip in Germany. One of the pastors on our mission team took us to visit the ancient Cathedral in Trier. What’s most notable about this stunning Dom is that it’s home to a sacred relic, believed to be the garment Jesus wore shortly before He was crucified. It’s called the “Seamless Robe” of Christ.

Legend has it that Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, discovered the seamless robe in the Holy Land around the year 327 along with several other relics. According to different versions of the story, she either bequeathed it or sent it to the city of Trier, where Constantine had lived. And it is believed to have been there ever since.

So what are our children doing as people from all over the world are inside taking pictures of this supposed holy tunic? They are chasing bubbles. Just outside the cathedral there’s a busker entertaining kids by blowing bubbles. He’s got this contraption that dispenses hordes of bubbles at a time which children love to chase all over the garden. And they aren’t just ordinary bubbles; these are huge bubbles on steroids.

The seamless robe of Christ or big empty bubbles? Which do we choose? Hmm.

There is a man in the Bible who came to the end of his days and realized he had chased a lot of empty bubbles in his lifetime. His name is Solomon and he wrote an entire memoir about bubble chasing. It’s the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes and it contains the reflections of an old man as he considered the question of the meaning of life. Michael Eaton called Ecclesiastes an “essay in apologetics.” He says, “It defends the life of faith in a generous God by pointing to the grimness of the alternative.”

Solomon inherited great wealth—an entire kingdom! He had little restraint when it came to pleasure—he married 700 women and had 300 concubines. His net worth could’ve easily been translated into $100 billion by today’s standards. But I want you to listen carefully to his take on life:

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, ‘It is mad,’ and of pleasure, ‘What use is it?’ I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-9 ESV)

Solomon chased the bubbles of entertainment and ‘laughter’ but they left him empty. One of the things that shocked so many people about the suicide of entertainer Robin Williams was how someone who seemed so full of joy on the outside and made others laugh uncontrollably, could be so tormented with depression on the inside. By all appearances, King Solomon seemed to be happy from the outside, but his life was empty on the inside. He hosted the best singers and musicians in the land. He knew how to throw a block party. But when the party was over, a cloud of meaninglessness set in.

King Solomon came to the end of his days realizing that even good things like wisdom, hard work, wealth, pleasure, and diligence, apart from God, will only leave us in despair. The conclusion Solomon came to was that every activity under the sun that doesn’t encompass a relationship with God is just “a striving after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, 2:22-25).

“Bubble chasing” is the practice of forfeiting the sacred and the eternal for what is temporal and fleeting. And here’s the staggering truth about bubbles: Regardless of their size, their luster, and their charm, at the end of the day they always leave us with a sense of emptiness—that something is still missing in our lives. Once you actually catch the bubble, it evaporates.

Ecclesiastes is the penmanship of a man who spent a lot of years chasing bubbles. Solomon’s words echo the frustration and despair of living in a fallen world. But the Good News is this: Ecclesiastes is not the end of God’s narrative in a fallen world. Nine hundred and thirty years after Solomon penned these words, Jesus stepped out of heaven and in to our meaninglessness. He told his disciples to take a hold of his robe and His Kingdom, and to follow him into a life of eternal meaning, abundant joy, and lasting peace. He took our sin upon himself and nailed it to the cross where God’s wrath was poured out so that we could receive God’s mercy. Through Jesus’ resurrection we are granted the confirmation of salvation, the assurance of eternal life, and the promise of a future world that will be fully restored in justice, righteousness, and eternal peace.

God longs to give you so much more than empty bubble chasing. He wants you to experience the abundant life that He offers through His Son, Christ Jesus. If you are uncertain how to begin that relationship, contact us and we will help you take those all-important next steps of faith.

May God bless you as you abide in Him today.

“Bubble Chasing” is the practice of forfeiting the sacred and the eternal for what is temporal and fleeting. But once you actually catch the bubble, it evaporates.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Think about a time in your life when it felt like you were “chasing bubbles.” What was at the root of all your “bubble chasing”?

2. In what ways have you been able to identify with King Solomon?

3. How would you sum up the purpose of life to your children or grandchildren?

4. Read Jeremiah 9:23-24. How can you apply this passage to your life this week?

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