There is some song that comes on the radio in the store every now and then. I don’t endorse the song or the musical style, but the lyrics get stuck in my head because they are repeated ad nauseum:  “I am a material girl and I live in a material world.”  When it comes on I get all over metaphysical angst, because–well, yes–I am material being in a material world; but I’m not.  Or, as C. S. Lewis put it, “You don’t have a soul.  You are a soul.  You have a body.”

Frankly, living like a material girl (or guy) in a material world is much easier than living as a Spiritual being in a Spiritual reality while existing as a material entity in a material universe.  Our materiality is as easy as breathing (literally!), as easy as walking barefoot on the carpet, drinking coffee, stubbing your toe.  Our materiality is not a bad thing. Our materiality (both our physical selves and the world) are God-given — even God celebrated!

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

But our fallen materiality makes Spiritual living really tricky! Our material existence is immediate.  It is impressed upon us every second of everyday. But it takes an act of the Holy Spirit and a dedication to meditating on the Word to live with Spiritual values in mind and to interpret the material world in a Spiritual light.

I think this is why I love Ecclesiastes so much. There is a lot going on in the book, but in amongst it all is this struggle between appreciating the wonderful material universe provided to us by a loving heavenly Father and the dangers that materiality can pose to us due to our fallen nature.  Ecclesiastes offers a really “simple” breakdown of the whole problem:

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  Ecc. 12:13-14

I am always surprised by this conclusion.  I want it to be more complex.  God knew I couldn’t handle more complex.  The bottom line is that until heaven, until our glorified bodies, the inherent tension of our dual existence is here to stay, and that’s the way God planned it.  His plans are always perfect.

This is a little scattered, but as always thanks for listening.

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”  ― C.S. Lewis