Apologia Christi

2009 is barely a month-and-a-half old and I have already encountered the quote of the year. Ron Wood, member of grumpy old men band The Rolling Stones (he is in his 60s by now) has a new girlfriend of 20 years old. This happens at times with men restlessly looking for something they haven’t yet found. ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’ is what they sang back in the 60s and possibly this is still the case today. In any case, Ron had to ditch the woman who was his wife of 23 years in order to shack up with his new girlfriend.

The girl in question, Ekaterina Ivanova, was asked whether she ever considers the fact that her new friend is so much older. ‘I never think about the consequences of what I do.’ Says she: ‘Life is far too short’. Right! Is this a good example of what Psalm 90:12 means by ‘Teach us to number our days, Lord?’ Apparently Ivanova has been numbering her days. She acknowledges that life is short – a remarkable insight for a 20 year old these days – and therefore concludes that it’s better not to consider the consequences of one’s actions.

This thought was already propagated by the Epicureans. Epicures, a Greek philosopher, had thought about these things too and concluded that, because life is short and because the material is all there is, it is better to enjoy it: Carpe Diem! Modern hedonistic man has added a dimension: since life is meaningless and after life everything is over the only logical thing to do is to go wild, party into the night, enjoy every moment even if need be at the expense of others. Hence Ivanova’s indifference to Ron’s ex-wife I suppose.

The Bible teaches us that this is a tremendously naive way of thinking. It is erring on the basics of life with eternal consequences. It is a road that leads to death. Not merely the end of life, but road to eternal conscious perdition. According to the Bible that is, a book that teaches us that life on earth is not meaningless, that man is to know, worship and serve his Creator. We live in a universe endowed with moral meaning and purpose. ‘Lord teach us to number our days and to realize that we are morally responsible toward You (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14).

What did I say? Quote of he Year? Maybe we should call it the quote of the month. Life is too short.