The Seductive Appeal of Youth and Nostalgia

Feb 24

Feb 24 The Seductive Appeal of Youth and Nostalgia

Ecclesiastes Study, Personal Faith, Wisdom, Faith, Trust, Truth

Even though people may live for many years, they should enjoy every one of them. But they should also remember there will be many dark days…
Get rid of what troubles you or wears down your body, because childhood and youth are pointless. (Eccl 11:8, 10 GW) [context– Eccl 11:7-10]

Ecclesiastes Chap 11

Fleeting Youth

Try as we may, none of us can hang onto our youth. Our youth is a fleeting phase of life. It doesn’t seem to last much longer than a fireworks display on the 4th of July.

And yet, this short-lived phase of life is often revisited in memories and thoughts as our life marches on. Even in our later years, it’s common for us to think of ourselves in our younger persona. In our mind’s eye, we see ourselves doing what our bodies will no longer tolerate.

Thousands and thousands of products are marketed to slow down the aging process or rewind the clock in some way. Lotions and cosmetics are guaranteed to eliminate wrinkles. Certain diet and exercise regimens claim amazing restorative power.

And if all else fails, well, there’s the cosmetic surgery option.

But none of these efforts stop the aging process as we march towards our last breath. Our internal clock ticks away. It’s only interrupted by catastrophic illness or tragic and premature death. This is the reality of life under the sun. And yet…

Life is precious. Every bit of it.

What about the more difficult and dark periods of life? They accentuate the immeasurable value of life—just as the light of the stars pierce through the vastness of the night sky.

So, why are we so infatuated with youth? We realize its precious value more and more as we grow older. We especially see this with how enraptured elderly people are with babies and young children.

But we need to guard against the seduction of nostalgia and envy of those who are younger. When we allow ourselves to be snared with envy or lost in nostalgia, we miss the significance of each present and passing moment in our life.

Envy and nostalgia can rob us of the value and worth of everyday life if we carelessly ignore the present.

Insights

These few verses at the end of Chapter 11 start with a pleasant thought but finish with an apparent return to Solomon’s cynical view of life under the sun. But digging deeper we can catch his main point.

Studies have verified the beneficial effect of sunlight. It’s the most readily available and natural source of vitamin D, which is an important element of a healthy immune system.

Sunlight is also a major factor for psychological health, both emotional and mental. Geographic areas that lack sunlight exposure often see an increase in alcoholism/addiction, depression, and even an increase in suicide attempts attributed to SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Here’s the heart of what Solomon is saying—

Light is sweet, and it is good for one’s eyes to see the sun. Even though people may live for many years, they should enjoy every one of them. (Eccl 11:7-8 GW)

Will dark days come? Yes. Will life under the sun seem pointless at times? Yes.

Enjoying life in simple ways and while the sun shines in our life—when life is pleasant— helps us overcome times of darkness. It provides us with a healthy perspective like a bridge over the dark times of life.

Solomon turns his exhortation from those who are older to the young. But his encouragement to the young includes a warning—one Solomon will expand on further in the final chapter of Ecclesiastes.

He encourages young people to enjoy their youth while it lasts. Curiosity and an idealistic outlook on life characterize youth. Even for those with difficult, even dangerous childhoods, hope for better days seems to be embedded in their hearts and dreams.

But there’s a caveat to Solomon’s encouragement to “follow wherever your heart leads you.” A time will come when God will hold all people to account for their lives, as is said in the last verse of Ecclesiastes (Eccl 12:14).

Solomon’s concluding thought in this chapter is to jettison whatever burdens us, including the anxiety and stress that take a toll on us physically as well as mentally.

Remember, childhood and youth don’t last long and life under the sun is also brief in comparison to eternity.

Existential Reflections

There’s a place for nostalgia in our lives. We could say the only place for nostalgia is in the past but that would be a state of denial. We all have memories. Some are treasures we hold close to our heart and others may be reminders of difficult or dark times.

Whenever I preside at a funeral or memorial service, I remind those gathered of the value of memories. They are treasures we hold in our hearts and minds. And as we age, we gather memories both recent and past, in fact, all of us are a composite of our memories.

It’s true that nostalgia tends to be a selective time of remembrance. The word itself is connected to homesickness—a longing for and wistful remembrance of family and home.

We all tend to remember our childhood and youth with selective memory. This is what high school reunions thrive on and nostalgia typically focuses on “the good old days.” So we need to guard against dwelling in a dreamlike sentimental journey.

But nostalgia can have a good purpose.

Those of us who are grandparents understand how quickly time passes, especially childhood and youth. I often find myself encouraging young parents to enjoy their children while they’re young, especially while they are babies. Sure, there’s lots of lost sleep but this precious time passes so quickly.

Raising children has its challenges. Family life can seem overwhelming at times. Many of us struggled to make ends meet while trying to keep up with the ever-changing dynamics of home life and the demands and troubles of life under the sun.

This is where the American way of life may put us at a disadvantage from other cultures. We Americans put a high value on independence and single-family homes. Many other cultures put a high value on community life where multi-generational home settings are more typical. Each has its own challenges and drawbacks.

In our youth, we can be seduced into thinking we’re indestructible as if we’re immortal. We’re not.

As we age, we can be seduced with selective fantasies of our younger days. But idolizing youth and our younger years doesn’t make us young again.

Each generation can be a blessing to other generations. If we choose to be so.

Children learn from their parents and grandparents, both the good and the bad. We may want young people to respect those who are older. But those of us who are older need to value and respect younger generations.

If we want respect, we need to show it to others, even those younger than ourselves. We all can learn from one another but this requires respect for one another. Just as today’s technology is native to younger people, historical perspective is a valuable aspect of older generations.

Young generations would be wise to learn from and respect those older than themselves. Experience is valuable, especially when that experience came at a cost as it often does. Older generations have valuable lessons and remembrances to pass on to younger generations.

Youth is fleeting and nostalgia has some value. But remember…

Light is sweet and pleasant. It’s more powerful than darkness.

Life is precious—every day and every year—every bit of it.

Life under the sun won’t last long, so enjoy it while you can and remember the light in times of darkness.

This is an excerpt from my newest book available on Amazon! Glimmers of Light in the Darkness of Life

The Scripture text for this devotional study can be found by clicking the blue button link– “Ecclesiastes Chap 11” [I’ve used God’s Word Translation (GW) for ease of reading but the button link will take you to the text in a parallel version with the NKJV text.]

Also, for further commentary, I recommend Enduring Word by Ptr David Guzik.