Solomon starts the third chapter of Ecclesiastes with a haunting poem:

There is comfort and horror in the fact that time passes. In the worst periods of our lives and of history, we think with relief that “this, too, shall pass.” Yet the same thought is sobering when we reach peaks of joy and peace. Time waits for no man, whether he is having a great time or a terrible time.

Solomon wants us to step back from the particular season we are experiencing at the moment and reflect on the passing of time. When we do so, we discover something: He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end (Ecc. 3:11).

The one question about time that haunts us all is: This short little life we get to spend on a pretty little blue planet — is this it?

If this really is all there is to it, then Solomon recommends that we simply enjoy the little bit of time we have: I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is the gift of God (Ecc. 3:12). If we live our lives without reflecting on these questions and focusing solely on our enjoyment of the here and now, then the fleeting times of laughter, dancing and loving are all we get. In modern parlance: You only live once.

But this answer is unsatisfactory. When we look around at the world today, we see great injustice. Good people being oppressed by wicked people who hold all the power. If each one of us simply lives and dies, those who lived a life of plenty by oppressing the poor will have the last laugh. The poor man, even if he was full of integrity and goodness, will simply die. No justice is served and we all return to dust like animals.

For what happens to the sons of men also happens than animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust (Ecc. 3:19–20).

In a purely material world where humans are no different to animals, the only thing that matters is the survival of the fittest. Look out for your own interests and for those who could help when you need them. Otherwise, don’t concern yourself with the downtrodden on the other side of the world, or even the other side of your town. Don’t yearn for justice. Don’t give to charity or extend a helping hand to the helpless.

Most of us cannot live with this level of dystopia and despair, whether we believe in God or not. Why is this the case? Because He has set eternity in our hearts.

The judgment of God is seen in a negative light these days, yet this is the justice we all want and feel deep within us. We want to see things being put right. We want the good guys to win in the end. We want to be sure that the line drawn between right and wrong is the correct one, and that the judge is incorruptible and fair.

Solomon follows up his dystopian view of life with an important question: Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? (Ecc. 3:21).

This is the haunting question. I believe it haunts us for good reason. There is a reason why we need hope of better times to get through life. There are reasons why we feel empathy for oppressed strangers and anger against oppressors. These things make us uniquely human, setting us apart from animals as beings who feel a sense of responsibility towards others. He has set eternity in our hearts.

When the life of a loved one is cut short — they die young, in an accident or from some terrible disease — we feel the horror of time. It seems unfair, unjust. Why should they get less time to enjoy things on this planet than we do, or than wicked people do? Why do dictators die of old age, while innocent children die before they even start to enjoy life?

Yet there is a deeper question beyond these that we should not miss: Why do we feel this way about death? Since everyone is going to be forgotten in the sands of time anyway, why should anyone be entitled to a long life? If you have a materialistic view of the world where there is no God and no afterlife, these feelings about death make no sense. Despite your own beliefs, He has set eternity in your heart.

Whether time feels like it is flying or crawling for you right now, remember that it never stops. Enjoying the life you are given is a good thing, but don’t become so engrossed with it that you bury your longing for eternity. Follow that longing; seek the One who put it in your heart.