In the fifth chapter of this same Book of Wisdom there are several similes all intended to express the shortness of human life. "All those things [the world and its vanities] are passed away like a shadow and like a post that runneth on. And as a ship that passeth through the waves, where of when it is gone by the trace cannot be found, not the path of its keel in the waters. Or as when a bird flieth through the air, of the passage of which no mark can be found, but only the sound of the wings beating the light air, and parting it by the force of her flight.... Or as when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air presently cometh together again, so that the passage thereof is not known. So we also, being born, forthwith ceased to be, and have been able to show no mark of virtue."
There is a gradation in this series of similes which marks the augmented speed with which life passes. "A shadow," it is true, disappears with the person who casts it, but only at the rate of speed with which the person moves. "A post that runneth on" shows an acceleration. This post or messenger dashes into the house, leaves behind him his master's instructions, and is gone away again in a flash. "A ship," even in Solomon's days, traversed the ocean swiftly, being borne rapidly by the wind; and nowadays, what with the speedingup of life, the ambition of many of us is to set up new records in what we can accomplish and in what little time. The "bird" in flight defies the speed of the shadow and of the post and of the ship, while the "arrow" is taken as the symbol of the speed that is swiftest of all.
It would seem, then, that the inspired writer, in putting these words on the lips of the sinner, would so arrange his figures as to indicate that the more deeply we penetrate in prayer into God's view of life, the more clear becomes the utter vanity and transitoriness of all except Him.
A list of names could easily be made of the recent deaths of men and women who were all famous, but famous for vastly differing reasons. The list would include Stalin and Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, Maria Goretti, any of our missionaries put to death for the faith _ Father Canavan or Henighan, for instance. For all these life is gone. Each of them came on the stage from one side of the wings; each of them performed a task, attracted a certain amount of notoriety, used their one opportunity for the doing of good or of evil, and "forthwith ceased to be," passing out by the wings on the other side of the stage.
Life is a shadow because it has no substance, no reality, apart from God and God's purpose for it. Life is a post or a rumor that passeth on, because it is constantly changing; rumors, whether false or true, are soon forgotten, especially when the radio blares forth "news" for us four or five times a day. Life is compared to a ship, because it is fluctuating; we live in a constant state of uncertainty and instability. It is like a bird that suddenly flits into the room by an open door and dashes at once out the open window, because scarcely have we begun to enjoy the good things of life than they fall from our hands. Men toil for years to make money, and how few succeed! _ and of those who do, how many find that it brings happiness? Life is like an arrow shot into the air, leaving behind no trace of its passage. Have you not noticed how famous people, whose names were on every tongue, were scarcely mentioned or thought of a month after their death?
There is no pretense at originality in these thoughts. They are "ever ancient, ever new," and the inspired writer only says what every sane person must say. He only draws, by implication, the conclusions that stare in the face every person who takes time off to look at them. "Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation."
Jesus, I am convinced intellectually of the shortness of time. But it is hard to realize, in this workaday, materially minded world where I live. Only constant withdrawal from the bustle and constant seeking of Your face in prayer can enable me to preserve perspective. Give me wisdom, O Lord, as You gave it to Solomon, Your servant. There are not many wise, and many are asleep. Wake me up, O Lord, and keep me awake!