I recently had the privileged of writing a guest article for ToUnearth:
What do you do each day?
If we’re all being honest, I think we could admit the majority of what we do each day is mundane. Every day we go through a myriad of activities and motions that we have done before and will do again. There are variables that affect the details, but those don’t often change the course of our mundane.
Sounds depressing, doesn’t it?
Throughout the book, the Teacher repeats the phrase “under the sun.” Looking at different aspects of life that take place “under the sun,” he concludes they are largely mundane and meaningless. He says that much of our work and striving is futile. “A chasing after the wind,” to use his exact words.
On the subject of joy in the mundane
Despite his seemingly cynical and borderline depressing perspective of life, he has some interesting things to say about joy. Considering his conclusion that much of life is pointlessly cyclical, futile and out of our control, one might expect him to say joy can only be found when we break out of the cycle of our mundane lives. Or one might predict him to advise the reader to seek joy in big, grand things, like wealth, status, personal achievement, or perhaps something deeper like knowledge or wisdom.
But no. In fact, the Teacher concludes that all these things are futile as well.
In an excitement-craving culture, it is often our inclination to think joy is found in the extra-ordinary. Yet the Teacher directs us to the very ordinary aspects of life. Surprisingly, he points to everyday things such as youth, friendships and work, and he counsels us to find joy in those things.
Is it possible there is far more joy to be had in those everyday, mundane things we do daily? What would change about our perspective if only we had eyes to see?
