The Good Old Days
If you could pick a time to live your life when would it be? You know, a time when society had advanced just far enough, life was good, and not too primitive. A good pick might be around 1960. We had refrigerators, airplanes, cars, supermarkets, houses in the suburbs, air conditioners, washers, dryers, telephones, cheap gas, low taxes, stable home life, and an honest (silver-backed) currency. Life was not so complicated and a whole lot less rushed.

At the service station of 1960, you actually received service. You’d be greeted with a smile from your English-speaking neighbor who owned the station or a young man who endearingly called himself a “pump jockey.” While you sat in your car he’d cheerfully fill your tank, wash the windows, and ask to check the oil. He’d wear a little chrome plated change maker around his waist and carry a wad of various bills in his pocket. In just moments, you’d have your change, and be on your way.

That’s a far cry from repeatedly swiping a credit card in a reluctant self-service pump as the bitter wind blows right through you. If you’re careful, the gas won’t splatter on your suit, the side of your car, or your hands and you too will be on your way, smelling a little bit like a “pump jockey” yourself.

Back then, prices were so low. At 29.9 cents per gallon of gas, three dollars would fill a small tank. You could drive to the local grocery store and buy bread for a quarter and mail a first class letter for just 4 cents http://www.usps.com/history/history/his4_5.htm#DOM.

Or perhaps you would go all the way back to the Garden of Eden. There lived the first man and first woman celebrating each other and their Creator in an ideal environment. They had no defects. Adam was the perfect husband and Eve the perfect wife. There was no sickness, sorrow, pain, aging, toil, or tears. Food was just there for the eating, and all of the animals were friendly.

Imagine a marriage without dispute. Imagine living in a world without trouble. Imagine having only pure thoughts and motives. Imagine actually walking and talking with God. Unfortunately there was evil in the universe, and it visited the garden. If only that serpent had not come and started the ball rolling. If only man would have made the right choice. He didn’t and the consequences have been devastating (Romans 3:23; 8:22).

Modern Miracle
Okay, Eden’s end was man’s failure, and we can’t choose it now anyway. In reality, we cannot pick the time when we live. Solomon put it this way:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

We’re living in the “here and now” and must make the best of it. But in many ways we’re living better than kings of old. We can travel farther, faster, safer, and more comfortably. We have access to far greater variety of food and products. Technology has brought us miracles on many fronts. The field of medicine is able to locate and cure diseases not even known just a few decades ago. Life expectancy continues to rise. From eyeglasses, to contact lenses, to cataract surgery, to laser correction, we have the answer for less than perfect eyesight. From plastic surgery to Viagra, Retinol to Rogaine, we have the miracle treatment to at least reduce the impact of growing old.

Satellites circle the globe in synchronous orbit, constantly providing live images and communication from the other side of the world. With a few keystrokes we can search for and retrieve information that would have taken days or weeks to locate prior to the Internet. Email allows us to send letters that arrive in seconds and virtually for free. We have super highways that connect us on the ground. High-bandwidth communication lines link us to each other and to the information that we need. Computers are on our wrists, in our cars, in our homes, at the office, and at the store. They give us accuracy, efficiency, and quality. Daily these tireless, silent servants grow more powerful and less expensive and are virtually everywhere.

Bread for 25 cents and gas for 29 cents sounds so cheap, but if we take into account inflation, a different image emerges. According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/, the value of the dollar has declined 625% since 1960. That is, what cost 16 cents back then now costs a dollar. The good news is, wages have moved up with inflation too, so for wage earners at least, this “hidden tax” is more tolerable. And speaking of taxes, according to the Tax Foundation http://www.taxfoundation.org/SR122.pdf, in 1960 we worked 98 days paying taxes. Today the average wage earner works 109 days to pay taxes.

Instant is also big these days. For computer nerds there’s instant messaging. For people who don’t like to cook there’s instant coffee, instant tea, instant hot cereal, instant grits, instant breakfast, instant pudding, and fast food. Microwave ovens prepare our food in record time. For people who like to spend, there’s instant credit and instant loans. Digital cameras have now given us instant photos. We have instant entertainment thanks to radio, television, movie rentals, and of course, the remote control. Power grids beam their energy continuously (almost) far and wide. Telephone service blankets the nation and cellular phones connect us to each other whether home or away.

While it’s true we can have many things in an instant, it’s also true that death comes in an instant—and none of us knows when that fateful moment will be. We just know that some time in the future that instant will come. Will you be ready for that ultimate leap into the future?

What Really Matters?
Without a doubt, we do live in a marvelous time. Man has demonstrated his creative genius and resourcefulness by building vast cities, nations, libraries, and machines. He has fashioned the earth to serve him. Yet man, through his own devices, has never yet found an answer to the damage done in the Garden of Eden. In spite of all of this progress, wars, disputes, divorces, murders, disease, death, and destruction continue to plague him now as they have in the past.

In response to young Solomon’s prayer to God for help (I Kings 3:6-14), he was given the greatest wisdom known to man, along with everything else that a man could want (I Kings 10:24-24; 11:3). Since he had it all, perhaps he could give us some insight into all of this. What did he have to say about what satisfies in this life?

1. Not in Doing

   And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: ... I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. (Ecclesiastes 1:13-14)

   Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19)

2. Not in Knowing

   And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:17-18)

3. Not in Pleasure

   I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

4. Not in Riches

   He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:11-15)

Only Two Options
Back in the garden, man made a choice—the wrong choice. As a result, all creation has been in turmoil. But thankfully, the story does not end there. God, in His grace, has given man a second chance. We each have the opportunity to make the right choice this time. Just as before, there will be drastically differing consequences. Let’s look at them:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

The Second Death
We are free to go our own way in this life. And each who does will be given his hearing in the afterlife, but he will also be given his just punishment for rejecting God. In the Book of Revelation we’re told that after death, even those who choose to reject God’s grace, will rise again to be judged and face the “second death.”

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; ... And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (II Thessalonians 1:8-9)

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42)

All Things New
Just as those who reject God’s grace will face the second death, those who accept the Savior will be given a new and perfect life. And just as the creation started without evil, in the end, the new creation will again be perfect.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ... Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (II Peter 3:9-10, 13)

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.... And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:4-7)

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: ... And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-3, 5)

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

News from Home
The church where I attend started a seminary. I decided to take a course—and survived. Now I’m planning to dive into another. Laura informed me that she had remarried. That leaves me free from any further moral obligation to her. I can no longer be considered her husband (I Corinthians 7:10-11; John 4:16-18) and am free to remarry (I Corinthians 7:2, 8-9). Stay tuned. I remain in the same group at IBM.