What am I doing here?

If I said that a story about rugby, Jesus and an old man from the Bible equated to a St Mary’s men’s breakfast where the speaker was our previous vicar Will Stileman, then I don’t think that you would be surprised.

Will was back at St Mary’s and recounted a story from his rugby playing days where he had persuaded a fellow student to make up the numbers in a rugby match. That the man had never seen a rugby match, and that his ‘training’ or introduction was watching a rugby highlights programme on TV soon became apparent. Barely had the match started when the ‘volunteer’ found himself at the base of a melee of players. When he finally emerged, he looked at Will and said ‘What am I doing here?’

And this is the question that many people ask themselves. And it may be that we ask it more frequently or with increased urgency as we get older, as we see our nearest and dearest, or neighbours and colleagues age and pass away.

Will took us to Ecclesiastes 1, which opens with “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” Meaningless can also be translated as ‘fleeting’ and this can help us understand and explain the following verses that ask “What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.”

So, what are we doing here, if we are so fleetingly here, in the timescale of the world?

Next, Will took us to Ecclesiastes 12 where verses 1-8 set out clearly and metaphorically how the passage of time takes a toll on our bodies: where sight weakens, hearing worsens, legs relinquish their power and people go to their eternal home. The passage ends by quoting again, “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’”

But into this, there is hope. Into this apparently fleeting life on earth, there is hope in the person of Jesus. Jesus provides for us the passage to freedom and life in eternity. And this is a life that is glorious, with renewed bodies and minds, a new earth and a new heaven where all our imperfections of body, mind and spirit are removed and we will be with the creator in heaven. But only if we believe.

This really made me think. How do I share my faith? Do my nearest and dearest know the joy in the Lord? For me, personally, some do not. And for some of my nearest and dearest time is running out. So, I must seize this opportunity. With Christmas just around the corner what a marvellous opportunity – again – to invite, to tell and to share the joy of Jesus.

And just as older people may be increasingly frequently asking ‘What am I doing here?’, I should be too. What am I doing here, if I am not telling them of the greatest news they will ever know? So, let’s be praying for ourselves – that we are certain why we are here, and that we use the opportunities God gives us to share the hope of Jesus.