The story is told of an American baseball legend who said, “For years, I ate baseball, I slept baseball, I talked baseball, I thought baseball and I lived baseball.”
“Well done!” we could say. But here is the legend’s own assessment of his accomplishment after he uttered those self-proclaimed accolades: “When you get beyond those years of playing professional baseball, you can’t live on baseball.”
In other words, there came a time in his life—most probably towards the end of it—when he realised that baseball, after all, was not the most important thing in life.
About this, a biblical commentator said, “We can devote our energies to a vast multitude of pursuits, but in the end, nothing will prove sufficient except the one lasting purpose.”
And what is that “lasting purpose”?
Passionate pursuits
Life goes on beyond our most passionate pursuits. No matter how long it takes, this truth eventually befalls us.
Whether in politics, academia, sports, business, entertainment or other interests, a time comes when life goes on without us!
For example, the day a member of parliament passes away, that very day, other politicians discuss the imminent by-election in the vacant constituency and vie for the empty seat.
Even more pitiable is the presidency.
The same day the President relocates to heaven or elsewhere, that same day, another mortal being must be sworn in to take his place in order to avoid a vacuum.
So, if during his lifetime the politician “ate politics, slept politics, thought politics and lived politics,” what would become of his politics now that the end has come?
We can say the same for every celebrity or commoner. No matter how much the world adores and honours us, our glorious days will be over someday; and then what next?
I still recall the fading days of goalkeepers, footballers and athletes in this country and elsewhere who were left alone to face their destiny when their sporting days were over.
It is a painful reality of life that, as the scriptural commentator put it, no matter how deeply we devote our energies to a multitude of pursuits, the end will come.
And if in the end it turns out that we devoted our lives to only frivolous pursuits, what a pity that would be!
It is amazing how, despite the celebrations of our prime days, we are soon forgotten, sidelined, neglected and even undermined when our end comes.
And the end does not always refer to passing away but also at retirement or if we are physically incapacitated.
There is, therefore, the need to embark on pursuits that have eternal values, not those that are only transient, knee-deep, and only satisfy our egos temporarily.
Whom to pity
Talking about anything temporarily, aren’t we already living in one? One evidence that we live in a fleeting world is how fast the earth and the people who live in it are constantly deteriorating and depleting.
Climate change, ozone layer depletion, unprecedented fire outbreaks, devastating floods, wars, genocide, pandemics and stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction are all indications that it will soon be over.
In the midst of this looming end to all things, who among us is to be pitied the most?
The Lord Jesus provides the answer to this probing question when he points out that it is fruitless for a person to gain the entire world but forfeit their soul (Mark 8:36).
This means that the human soul is worthier than the worth of the entire universe combined.
Yet, in the mad rush for power, wealth, fame and dignity, many people neglect their souls and rather reach out for temporary things.
Another response to the question of pity is provided by the apostle Paul who says that if our hope were to be for this world only, then we are among all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Both responses point to life hereafter where all human souls must eventually appear, and the need, therefore, to establish a firm relationship with God here on earth while we are pursuing our interests.
Count as loss
We are advised to hold loosely to the things of this world because any day, we may be called upon to let go.
“Therefore, do not love the world and the things that are in the world . . .” (1 John 2:15-17).
Paul gave up his excess baggage of fame and achievement for this clear reason: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
We may not realise the importance of these thoughts now, until the reality hits us; until we are stripped naked; until nothing really matters.
Then we will agree with Job that we brought nothing to this world, and we will take nothing out of it!
The writer is a publisher, author, writer-trainer and CEO of Step Publishers.
E-mail: lawrence.darmani@gmail.com
