Andy Talks

In this Friday reflection on Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 — offered on Mother's Day weekend, with a pastoral acknowledgment that the day lands differently for everyone — the Teacher's second experiment in the search for meaning is examined: pleasure. Having tried wisdom and found it vexing, Solomon goes the other direction entirely, becoming history's most extravagant hedonist — houses, vineyards, gardens, silver, gold, concubines, everything his eyes desired, nothing withheld. And the verdict is the same: vanity, a chasing after wind, nothing to be gained. The reflection connects this to a very contemporary reality: we live in an age of unprecedented access and instant gratification, and we may be among the most meaning-starved generations in history. Having everything you want doesn't fill the hole — it proves the hole is still there. The mind is fallen, and so are our desires. Just because something feels good doesn't mean it satisfies. A life worth living cannot be built on getting what yo