一切都将回到盒子里
Ni Hao. Welcome.
During the lockdown, my family has been playing a lot of board games. Here’s one we have in our household: The game of life. This is the junior edition.
The idea is to get around the board, have as many adventures as you can and the one who gets the most adventures wins. There are great adventures to be had.
Treasure hunts
VIP museum
Chocolate factory
Mud puddles
At the same time, there are some difficulties and frustrations that come our way.
A seagull stole your sandwich at the picnic
You got caught taking cookies
Your ball got stuck in the tree
A monkey stole…
You don’t want these cards! This is the game of life: Junior edition.
你好。欢迎。
在封城期间，我的家人一直在玩很多棋盘游戏。
这个是我们家棋盘游戏的一种：冒险王（生命大冒险的游戏）。这是初级版。这个游戏里，参与者需要尽可能多地冒险，获得最多冒险的人获胜。这里面有一些很棒的冒险经历：
寻宝
VIP 博物馆
巧克力工厂
泥巴浴
与此同时，我们也遇到了一些困难和挫折：
海鸥在你野餐时偷走了三明治
你吃饼干被抓到
你的球卡在树上
一只猴子偷了你的……
你不想要这些卡！这是生命大冒险的游戏-初级版。
In many ways, the book of Ecclesiastes is highlighting this game of life. The Quester – as we’ve come to call the author – is writing effectively an open letter to us today. He is raw and honest about the way it really works. The reason he writes is that he wants us to live well.
As we come to the finale of our series today, we hear the Quester bring home two themes that he wants us to remember and grapple with.
在许多方面，传道书都在强调这种生命的游戏。传道者，正如我们对作者的称呼 ，为我们写了一封公开信。他对真实生命的看法是直白而坦诚的。他之所以写给我们，是因为他想让我们好好地生活。
今天当我们来到这个系列讲道的尾声，我们听到传道者带回了他希望我们记住和掌握的两个主题。
The first is this:
#1 Don't let difficulties distract you from enjoying life. Rather, make the most of the time you have.
He writes, “When people live many years, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:8) There are two keys words here: “Rejoice” and “remember.”
Rejoice – but “remember that the days of darkness will be many.” He might sound like a killjoy but the Quester believes that understanding that disappointment, injustice, and grief – are part and parcel of this world affected by the fall – is an important part of the process of actually enjoying life.
第一个主题是：
#1 不要让困难分散你享受人生的注意力。相反，充分利用你拥有的时间。
他写到，“人活多年，就当快乐多年。然而也当想到黑暗的日子，因为这日子必多，所要来的都是虚空。” (传道书 11:8) 这里有两个关键词： “欢喜”和“记住”。
要欢喜——但“要记住，黑暗的日子会很多。” 他可能听起来像是快乐终结者，但传道者认为，明白了失意、不公义正和悲伤构成这个沉沦堕落世界的一部分 ——是真正享受生命过程的重要组成部分。
So, you can be enjoying the adventures that come your way as you head around this game of life. (going around the board).
Treasure hunt
Chocolate factory
You might add – a new relationship, completing education, promotion to a new role
But, the quester also notes – expect to run into some trouble. Throughout this book, he has used a particular word 38 times to describe these days of darkness. Remember the Hebrew word? Hebel. It has the idea of ‘smoke. Mist. Breath.’
Remember, it’s a word that sounds like what it is describing. It’s a sigh! Life is full of moments that make you sigh.
It’s easy – especially for Christians - to downplay the hevel - the frustrations of living in a fallen world affected by sin. The reality is that here on earth – Christian or not – there are going to be moments where you go hevel – sigh.
因此，当你在这个生活游戏中前进时，你可以享受一路上的冒险。 （绕着棋盘走）。
• 寻宝……
• 巧克力工厂
• 您可能会添加 – 新关系、完成教育、晋升到新角色
但是，传道者还指出——预计会遇到一些麻烦。在整本书中，他使用了一个特定的词 38 次来描述这些黑暗的日子。还记得那个希伯来词吗？Hebel。它有“烟、雾”的概念。叹息。'
请记住，这个词正如其所描述的意思一样，就是一声叹息！
生活充满了让你叹息的时刻。尤其是对基督徒而言，很容易淡化生活在一个沉沦堕落世界里的挫败感。现实是，在地球上——无论是否是基督徒——都会有你叹息的时刻。
So, what do we do with the hevel? Rejoice while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Ecclesiastes 11:9
He hones in on youth. By youth, he’s not just referring to NextGen so much as anyone not in their final years. These are people for whom there is still freedom to take risks and time to go in new directions. The future still has possibilities. He says, listen up – ‘rejoice.’
Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)
Did you notice the commands here? “rejoice.” Or “be happy.” “Follow the impulses of your heart” - go for it. God commands joy! We often think of commands as bad things. But, God commands joy and happiness. They are not optional extras for us. Yes, the verse mentions Judgement. Perhaps it’s possible that the Quester is reminding us to live responsibly amidst our freedom and joy. That’s certainly true.
Many good Bible expositors say this isn’t the best way to read this verse. It is much more likely that the Quester is actually including our enjoyment of God’s world, or lack of it, as one of the things that God will call to account for one day.
One scholar wrote from this verse: “Human beings are supposed to enjoy life to the full because that is their divinely assigned portion, and God calls one into account for failure to enjoy.” (C. Seow)
那么，我们如何处理这个虚空呢？少年人哪，你在幼年时当快乐，在幼年的日子使你的心欢畅。(传道书 11:9)
他颂赞青春。谈到青年，他不仅指下一代，还指任何还没有到达他们最后年月的人。这些人仍然有冒险的自由和时间朝着新的方向前进。未来还是有可能的。他说，听着——“快乐吧。”
行你心所愿行的，看你眼所爱看的，却要知道，为这一切的事 神必审问你。/传道书 11:9
你注意到这里的命令了吗？ “欢畅”或者“快乐”。 “跟随你内心的冲动”——去做吧。 神命令你喜乐！我们经常认为命令是坏事。但是， 神却命令我们快乐和幸福。它们对我们来说不是可选的附加功能。是的，这节经文提到了审判。或许传道者提醒我们要在自由和快乐中负责任地生活。这当然是真的。
许多优秀的解经家说这不是阅读这节经文的最佳方式。更有可能的是，传道者实际上也含概了我们对 神国的享乐，或者缺乏， 神总有一天会为此查问我们。
一位学者从对这节经文的领受中写道：“人应该充分享受生命，因为那是 神所命定的一部分， 神会因人未能享受生命而责备我们。” (C. Seow)
Last weekend, Arwen and I made a scrumptious Cherry Pie. It took us a whole morning – and the whole family loved it.
But imagine if you had baked your heart out and served up your delicacy on nice plates, with cream and cake forks – and your family consumes it but they do so in a distracted way while watching TV and fail to enjoy it or be grateful for it. It would be offensive to you as a chef. If you’re the chef, your pleasure is found in having the person you made this for - enjoy it.
In the same way, God has placed that first ray of morning sun in front of you; that full rainbow against dark clouds; those gifts and abilities you have, the resources he’s entrusted to you… he wants you to enjoy it. Not to be distracted by the difficulties.
上周末，Arwen 和我做了一个美味的樱桃派。我们花了整整一个上午——全家人都很喜欢。
但是想象一下，如果你花尽心思，用奶油和蛋糕叉子把你的美味盛在漂亮的盘子里——你的家人却一边看着电视，一边无心地吃着你做的美食，并没有享受它或感激它. 作为一名厨师，这对你来说是一种冒犯。如果你是厨师，你的乐趣在于让你为之做这道菜的人去享受它。
同样地， 神将第一缕晨光放在你面前；乌云映衬那满天的彩虹；你拥有的那些恩赐和能力，祂赏赐给你的资源……祂想让你享受它。不要被困难分了心。
But, JD, there is lots of difficulties going on. Haven’t you heard of the pandemic?
Yep – there certainly is. The quester has spoken about the hevel. So what does he want us to do with these frustrations? “Banish emotional stress from your mind and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” (Ecclesiastes 11:10)
This isn’t denying the very real suffering that everyone experiences. Instead, it’s a call to change our perspective about the things we so easily stew over.
Emotional stress can be a range of things…irritation, offence, anxiety, vexing, … These things are like a negative fertiliser. I sum them up as the negative three - complaint, anxiety, and envy. They sprout up in our lives like horrid weeds:
All three have something in common – they are responding to circumstances:
Complaint focuses on what is going wrong.
Anxiety focuses on what might go wrong.
Envy focuses on what is going right for everybody else!
They all have this idea that my happiness is based on my circumstances. The quester says – but you can’t control most of the things that come your way. It’s futile. It’s like chasing the wind.
但是你可能会说——JD牧师，现在很多困难。你没听说过疫情吗？
是的——当然有。传道者谈到了虚空。那么他希望我们如何处理这些挫折呢？所以你当从心中除掉愁烦，从肉体克去邪恶，因为一生的开端和幼年之时，都是虚空的。(传道书 11:10)
这并不是否认每个人都经历过的非常真实的痛苦。相反，因为我们如此容易陷入困境中，它呼吁改变我们看待困境的角度。
情绪压力可以来自一系列……烦躁、冒犯、焦虑、烦恼……这些事情就像是一种消极的肥料。我把它们总结为消极的三点——抱怨、焦虑和嫉妒。它们像可怕的杂草一样在我们的生活中萌芽：
这三个情绪有一些共同点——它们都是基于我所处环境而做出反应：
抱怨总是聚焦目前有什么问题。
焦虑关注将来可能出现的问题。
嫉妒专注于看到他人并没有遇到问题！
它们的出发点都是我的幸福取决于我的境遇。传道者说——但你无法控制发生在你身上的大部分事情。这是徒劳的。就像捕风捉影一样。
But, what you can control is whether you will allow it to chew you up and distract you from enjoying the good gifts God has placed in front of you right now.
Lockdowns would be in this category, wouldn’t they? If our pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the things we counted on and took for granted – work, leisure, travel, society, even family –may fracture or fall apart. So, as you move around the board, the quester is saying ‘enjoy the adventures. Don’t allow the seagull stealing your sandwich to affect the picnic or the monkey stealing your banana to take away the joy available to you. Instead, make the most of the time you have.
So, rather than dwell on what’s not right, turn your gaze on what is right – and good.
但是，你能控制的是，你是否会允许你的境遇来纠缠你，让你无法享受 神现在摆在你面前的恩赐。
封城属于这一类，不是吗？如果这次全球疫情教会了我们什么，那就是我们所指望并认为理所当然的事情——工作、休闲、旅行、社会，甚至家庭——可能会破裂或分崩离析。因此，当你在棋盘游戏里移动时，传道者会说“享受冒险吧。不要让偷你三明治的海鸥影响野餐，不要让偷香蕉的猴子带走你的快乐。相反，充分利用你拥有的时间。
因此，与其纠缠于不正确的事情，不如将目光转向正确的事情——以及好的事情。
No matter what age we are, we can get stuck, dwell on what isn’t rather than celebrate what is. So often we find ourselves asking – What is life?
What is life? “Life is for living, so make the most of the time you have.” Every generation has hopes and frustrations. So, the Quester brings lands the first thing he wants us to remember from this book:
#1 Don't let difficulties distract you from enjoying life. Rather, make the most of the time you have.
The second summary he wants us to remember from his book is this:
#2 Don't let ageing and death distract you from enjoying life. Rather, live with the end in mind.
Death is not something we talk about much. We try to block it from our thinking. We try to avoid it. We spend vast amounts of money and time fighting it. It’s not here in the game of life. But, it is in the reality of life. The thing is I will grow old. So will you.
无论我们多大年龄，我们都可能陷入困境，专注于似是而非的事情而不是欢庆我们真正所拥有的。我们经常发现自己在问——什么是人生？
人生是什么？ “人生就是为了好好生活，所以要充分利用你拥有的时间。” 每一代人都有希望和挫折。因此，传道者带来了他希望我们从这本书中记住的第一件事：
#1 不要让困难分散你享受人生的注意力。相反，充分利用你拥有的时间。
他希望我们从他的书中记住的第二个总结是：
#2 不要让衰老和死亡分散你享受人生的注意力。相反，要以终为始。
死亡不是我们经常谈论的事情。我们试图阻止它进入我们的思考。我们尽量回避它。我们花费了大量的金钱和时间来对抗它。这并不是游戏。然而，这是人生的现实。问题是我会变老。你也一样。
It happens quite fast. As I get older, that ageing process happens faster and faster. I find myself resonating with what author Terry Pratchett says:
“Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened” (Terry Pratchett) Can you resonate with that too?
I went to one app this week that showed me what I might look like when I get even older – and this was the picture that came up…It can be fun doing this. But at some point – the reality of ageing isn’t much fun. Rather than avoid it, it’s something we need to prepare for.
To prepare for it, the Quester says: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
它发生得非常快。随着年龄的增长，衰老过程发生得越来越快。
我发现自己与作者特里·普拉切特 (Terry Pratchett) 所说的有所共鸣：“每个老人内心都有一个年轻人，好奇所发生的事情”(特里·普拉切特) 你也能对此产生共鸣吗？
这周我用了一个软件程序，它会显示出我再变老一些的模样——这就是出现的照片......这样做会很有趣。但在某些时候——衰老的现实并不是很有趣。我们需要为此做好准备，而不是避免它。
为了做好准备，传道者说：你趁着年幼、衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说，我毫无喜乐的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。” (传道书 12:1)
This is a call to stop what we’re doing and to ensure we are in a good relationship with the One who made this world and made us.
I love these words from Bono, the lead singer of U2: “Ecclesiastes is one of my favourite books. It is a book about a character who wants to find out why he’s alive, why he was created. He tries knowledge. He tries wealth. He tries experience. He tries everything. You hurry to the end of the book to find out why, and it says ‘remember your Creator.’ In a way, it’s such a letdown. Yet it isn’t.” (Bono, Lead Singer of U2)
“Remember your Creator.” It’s how we respond to the ageing and dying process. Did you notice it’s not simply “remember God”? But – “Remember your Creator”?
Why? Well, by using ‘creator’ the Quester is taking us back to the garden of Eden at the beginning of humanity. We know God made a good world. But, futility and frustration came to it. The reason it came is that humanity over-reached in a search to be like God, for something beyond the limitations of our creaturehood.
这是呼吁停止我们正在做的事情，并确保我们与创造这个世界并创造我们的那一位保持良好的关系。
我喜欢 U2 主唱 Bono 的这些话：“传道书是我最喜欢的书之一。这是一本关于一个角色的书，这个角色想知道他为什么活着，他为什么被创造。他尝试认知。他尝试变得富有。他尝试体验各种经历。他什么都试。你赶紧到书的最后找出原因，上面写着“记住你的创造者”。从某种意义上说，这真是令人失望。然而事实并非如此。” (Bono，U2 主唱)
“记住你的创造者。”这就是我们如何应对衰老和死亡过程的态度。你有没有注意到这不仅仅是“记住 神”。而是——“记住你的创造者。”？
为什么？是的，用“创造者”这个词，传道者将我们带回了人类开始时的伊甸园。
我们知道 神创造了一个美好的世界。但是，徒劳和沮丧来了。它出现的原因是因为人类过度追求自己像 神一样，寻求超越我们做为受造物而受限的能力。
So, the Quester says “remember your Creator.” Remember you're a creature in need of your Creator. Remember, you don’t have all the answers, so give up trying to make sense of it all. Remember to take a humble place in the world as creatures – and stop trying to be like God. Remember to humbly surrender yourself to the One who created you so find your true identity and joy by walking in sync with what he says is good for us.
This is the only way to live well amidst the frustration – while we wait for our Creator to deal with the hevel and make all things new. The Quester is about to tell us that ageing is hard. To do that, he has crafted this beautiful poem.
If you remember back to our first week, he began this book with a poem about the cyclical pattern in nature and the world “Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes…”
所以，传道者说“记住你的创造者”。记住你是一个需要造物主的生物。记住，你没有所有的答案——所以放弃试图纠结这一切。记住要以受造物的身份在世界上保持谦卑——不要试图像 神一样。记住要谦卑地向创造你的那一位顺服这样才能找到你真正的身份和喜悦，与祂同行， 行祂所说有意于我们的事。
这是在困境中过上好日子的唯一方法——同时我们等候我们的造物主解决这个问题，让一切都焕然一新。传道者告诉我们衰老是艰难的。为此，他创作了这首美丽的诗。
如果你还记得我们的第一周，他以一首关于自然界和世界往复循环的诗开始这本书：“世代相传，但地球永不改变……”
As he comes to the end, the quester gives us another poem about the pattern inherent in an individual life coming to an end. What will help get you through the ageing and dying process, he says is to ‘remember your Creator.’ Everything he says in this poem links back to this phrase ‘Remember your Creator’
Remember your Creator … —before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-2)
When we are young, there is still time for the sky to clear. When we’re old, it’s like seeing clouds after the rain. We suffer one trouble after another, with little or no time to recover. The light of life grows dim. Then, in this poem he moves from comparing the ageing process with weather patterns … to now describing the ageing process as a house that is slowly crumbling with decay.
当他写道结尾时，传道者给了我们另一首诗，描述了一个人生命固有模式的终结。他说，帮助你度过衰老和死亡过程的是“记住你的创造者”。他在这首诗中所说的一切都与“记住你的创造者”这句话有关
记住你的创造者……——不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨後云彩反回，(传道书12:1-2)
当我们还年轻时，天空常蓝。当我们老了，就像雨后又见云。我们会遭受一个又一个的麻烦，几乎没有时间恢复。生命的光芒变得暗淡。然后，在这首诗中，他将人的老化过程比作天气运转的模式……到现在又将人的老化过程描述为随着腐烂慢慢倒塌的房子。
Remember your Creator …when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim (Ecclesiastes 12:3)
The keepers of the house = Shaky hands
Legs that were once strong posts – they begin to bow.
Grinders – fewer teeth.
The windows – cataracts and loss of vision – it’s like dirt over the windows.
Remember your Creator … when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades. (Ecclesiastes 12:4)
In other words, you don’t hear the noise of daily life like you used to. Not only is your hearing fading but you’re shut off from the hum of daily life.
Remember your Creator … when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint. (Ecclesiastes 12:4)
There is trouble sleeping. You’re up with the first songbirds, before dawn.
Remember your Creator… when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets. (Ecclesiastes 12:5)
记住你的造物主……看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗 (传道书12:3)
屋主 = 颤抖的手
曾经坚如立柱的双腿——它们开始弯曲。
研磨机——牙齿快要掉光。
窗户——白内障和视力丧失——就像窗户上的污垢。
记住你的创造者...... 街门关闭，推磨的响声微小 (传道书12:4)
换句话说，你不会像以前那样听到日常生活的噪音。不仅你的听力下降，而且你与日常生活的嗡嗡声隔绝了。
记住你的创造者......，雀鸟一叫，人就起来，唱歌的女子也都衰微。(传道书12:4)
睡眠也出现问题。黎明前，你已经起床，听到了第一声鸣鸟。
记住你的创造者……当人怕高处，路上有惊慌，(传道书 12:5)
In later years, there is a loss of confidence. People that at one time led massive projects and felt invincible in earlier years – now they are afraid of falling, afraid of what might be around the next bend. When they were young they could get up and dust themselves off, think nothing of it/get back to the task. As we age, a fall can have serious implications.
Remember your Creator …when the almond tree grows white, and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. (Ecclesiastes 12:5)
The almond tree – our hair – has grown white. A grasshopper usually springs up in the air. When a grasshopper is dragging itself along the ground, it’s an awkward moment that reminds us that our spring and zest has gone. It’s just a matter of time.
Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets. Remember Him—… before the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
到了晚年，人就失去了信心。那些曾经领导大型项目并在早些年感到所胜无敌的人——现在他们害怕跌倒，害怕下一个弯道可能发生状况。当他们年轻的时候，他们可以站起来掸掉身上的灰尘，什么都不要想/重新开始工作。随着年龄的增长，跌倒会产生严重的影响。
记住你的造物主……当杏树变白，蚱蜢拖着自己走，人 所 愿 的 也 都 废 掉 。(传道书12:5)
杏仁树——我们的头发——已经变白了。蚱蜢通常在空中弹跳。而当一只蚱蜢在地上拖着自己的身体时，那就会很尴尬，因为这提醒我们，我们的春天和热情已经消失了。这只是时间问题。
因为人归他永远的家，吊丧的在街上往来。尘土仍归於地，灵仍归於赐灵的神。(传道书 12:7)
It’s the words often given at a graveyard – dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Then, the final abrupt words from the Quester:
“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher, “All these things are futile!” (Ecclesiastes 12:8)
There is that word again – Hebel. It’s fleeting. Life slips through your fingers. It’s a breath that is gone so quickly. I said the first week that the very first man in the Bible to die is a man called Abel. Do you remember how his name is spelt in the original Hebrew? It’s exactly the same as ‘Habel.’ The quester is saying, You’re going to be like Abel. You’re going to die so don’t pretend otherwise. I’m going to die too. I don’t anticipate it anytime soon - but that’s largely outside of my control. In fact, each day a little bit more of life is passing me by – and you by - with each breath we take.
Life is a lot like this game. You get around the board. You enjoy the moments. But, ultimately, all the pieces, the house you acquired, the car you drove, the projects you completed, it all gets packed away.
这是墓志铭经常看到的话——尘归尘，土归土。
然后，来自传道者的最后一句话：传道者说：虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。(传道书 12:8)
还是那个词——Hebel（虚空）。转瞬即逝。生命从你指间溜走。这是一种消失得如此之快的气息。我在第一周说过，圣经中第一个死去的人是一个叫亚伯的人。你还记得他的名字在希伯来语原文中是如何拼写的吗？它与“Habel”完全相同。传道者说, 你会像亚伯一样。你会死，所以不要假装。我也要死了。我预计不会很快 - 但这在很大程度上超出了我的控制范围。事实上，每一天，我们的每一次呼吸都会让我和你渐渐与生命擦肩而过。
生活很像这个游戏。你绕过棋盘。你享受当下。但是，最终，所有的东西，你买的房子，你开的车，你完成的项目，都被打包归零。
Regardless of how well you played or how poorly you played – when the end of the game comes, there is one thing that happens: it all goes back in the box.
There is a day coming when your life will be placed in a box too – called a coffin. It doesn’t matter how much money or time you spent trying to avoid it. It doesn’t matter how well you played or how poorly you played – YOU and I will be placed in a box.
That might sound morbid – but the quester says that realisation should affect the way we live now. He believes that putting one foot in the grave is the best way to plant the other firmly to live well. So what does it mean to live well with the end in mind?
For one, it changes the perspective we have on the present.
Death and ageing have a way of bringing perspective to whatever we’re facing right now. Novelist E.M. Forster sums it up well: “Death destroys a man, but the idea of death saves him.” (E.M. Forster)
It changes the way we see the frustrations. Some of you might be overwhelmed by work or frustrated about work issues. But, there is a day coming when you will have no formal position or paid employment. You will feel largely irrelevant. Unwanted. You will miss these days. What’s more, everything you worked so hard to achieve will eventually decay and gather dust, and be forgotten. Maybe not in your lifetime – but chances are 100 years from now, at least on earth – nobody will remember you or anything about the work that has consumed you.
Some of you are frustrated about particular relationships. Ageing and death have a way of putting new perspectives on what’s important. Is that issue really that important to still be holding a grudge? Some of you are so working yourselves crazy. But, for what ends? You don’t even have the chance to enjoy what you have.
When we realize that everything goes back in the box – it should cause us to change a few things.
Living with the end in mind changes the perspective we have on the present. Living well also prepares us to face death and what is beyond death.
Life for many is one long exercise in avoiding reality and ignoring what is coming towards them – death and judgement.
不管你玩得有多好或有多差——当游戏结束时，都会发生一件事：一切都回到了盒子里。
总有一天，你的生命也会被安放在一个盒子里——这个盒子称为棺材。你花了多少金钱或时间试图避免它并不重要。无论你玩得有多好或有多差——你和我都会被放在一个盒子里。
这听起来可能很病态——但传道者说那个现实应该会影响到我们现在的生活方式。他认为，把一只脚放在坟墓里，是让另一只脚能够牢牢地踏入好好生活的最佳方式。那么，以终为始的美好生活是什么意思呢？
一方面，它改变了我们对现在的看法。
死亡和衰老可以使我们看清我们现在所面临的一切。小说家 E.M. Forster 总结得很好：“死亡摧毁一个人，但死亡的概念拯救了他。” (E.M. Forster)
它改变了我们看待困境的方式。你们中的一些人可能在工作中不知所措或对工作出现的问题感到沮丧。但是，总有一天你将没有正式的职位或有偿的工作。你会觉得在很大程度上自己已经无关紧要。你已不再被需要。你会怀念这些日子。更何况，你辛辛苦苦得到的一切，最终都会腐烂、尘埃落定，被遗忘。也许不是在你的有生之年——但有可能是 100 年后，至少在地球上——没有人会记得你或任何耗费过你的工作。你们中的一些人对某些特别的关系感到沮丧。衰老和死亡总能让人对重要的事情有新的看法。这个关系真的那么重要，甚至令你仍然怀恨在心吗？
你们中的一些人太工作狂了。但是，为了什么？你甚至没有机会享受你所拥有的。当我们意识到一切都回到了盒子里时——它应该让我们改变一些事情。
以终为始的方式生活会改变我们对待现时的看法。好好生活也让我们预备好面对死亡和死亡之外的一切。
对许多人来说，生活是一项长期的工作，他们在逃避现实并忽视即将到来的事情——死亡和审判。
The words of the Quester are meant to waken us from our slumber and sit with these questions:
Q: Am I more focused on fighting the ageing process or am I more focused on preparing for what is to come?
Q: Am I more focused on avoiding death or am I more focused on growing in a stronger relationship with my Creator?
The Quester has said that this earthly home of our bodies will eventually break down and decay. But, for people who are in a good relationship with their creator, there is something beyond this life. In the NT, the Apostle Paul picks up on this. He says: “We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed – we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1)
传道者的话是为了让我们从沉睡中醒来，并带着这些问题坐下来思考：
问：我是应该更专注于对抗衰老过程还是更专注于为即将到来的事情做准备？
问：我是应该更专注于避免死亡还是更专注于与我的创造者建立更牢固的关系？
传道者曾说过，我们生活的这个地球家园最终会分解和腐烂。但是，对于与他们的创造者关系良好的人来说，还有一些超越此生的东西。
在新约中，使徒保罗提出了这一点。他说：我们原知道，我们这地上的帐棚若拆毁了，必得神所造 ，不是人手所造 ，在天上永存的房屋。(哥林多后书 5:1)
This new house is the resurrected body of everyone who believes in Jesus. Such a relationship comes through faith in Jesus – looking to him for our life’s meaning, identity and security.
When we trust Jesus for these things, we find that death and judgement are not things to fear. Because Jesus has taken any judgement for us in his death and he provides life here and to come.
In one of my favourite verses, the Apostle Paul says, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” (Philippians 1:21-24)
* How could it be even better?
* In Christ, living or dying is a win-win.
We can labour for Christ while we live. We can live with Christ when we die. A relationship with him should affect the way we do life, enjoy the present and the future.
The question right now is: Does it, does it really? Is it obvious to others?, are you intentional about growing your relationship with Jesus? Or does Jesus fit around the other activities you pursue? Friend, if you’re not in a good relationship with your Creator, with Jesus – this very moment is the moment to turn that around. ‘Jesus, I want to walk with you and find the life that is truly life.’
For all of us – my hope is that these words from Ecclesiastes continue to bring perspective to the frustrations we’re experiencing right now.
这座新房子是所有相信耶稣的人的复活身体。这种关系来自于对耶稣的信——向祂寻求我们生命的意义、身份和安全感。
当我们在这些事情上相信耶稣时，我们会发现死亡和审判并不可怕。因为耶稣在祂的死中为我们承受了所有的审判，祂給予了今生和来世的生命。
在我最喜欢的一节经文中，使徒保罗说：“因我活着就是基督，我死了就有益处。但我在肉身活着，若成就我工夫的果子，我就不知道该挑选甚麽。我正在两难之间，情愿离世与基督同在，因为这是好得无比的。然而，我在肉身活着 ， 为你们更是要紧的。(腓立比书 1:21-24)
* 怎么可能“更好”？
* 在基督里，生或死都是双赢的。
我们可以在活着的时候为基督劳作。我们死后可以与基督同住。与祂的关系应该影响我们的生活方式，享受现在和未来。
现在的问题是：是吗，真的吗？对其他人来说是显而易见的吗？你是否有意地增进与耶稣的关系？或者你让耶稣去迎合你所追求的其他事物？朋友，如果你与你的造物主、与耶稣的关系不好——现在正是扭转局面的时刻。 “耶稣，我想与你同行，找到真正的生命。”
对于我们所有人——我希望传道书的这些话持续为我们现在所经历的困境带来新的视角。
Regardless of what we experience in this game of life, may we realise that …
It all goes back in the box.
Don't let difficulties and death distract you from enjoying life. Rather, remember your creator and enjoy life with the end in mind.
不管我们在这场人生游戏中经历了什么，我们是否可以意识到……
这一切都会回到盒子里。
不要让困难和死亡分散你享受生命的注意力。相反，记住你的创造者，并以终为始地享受生活。
