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Ancient works often deal with the theme of eternal life.
For example, The Epic of Gilgamesh is about one king’s desperate search for eternal life because he’s frustrated and terrified of death. Ecclesiastes comments on the meaninglessness of life largely because it is so fleeting.
In The Iliad, when Achilles leaves for the Trojan War he knows he will not return. But he’s willing to go because he knows the war will also secure his fame forever. He’s willing to trade his life for eternal fame. However you interpret the work, his initial choice shows he valued something more than life itself.
The blind poet sings upon this theme as well in The Odyssey, making another fascinating contribution to the conversation.
We’re introduced to Odysseus while the offer of eternal life rests before him on a silver spoon. Calypso offers to make him a god, but he refuses. He is not content to live forever in some paradise void of everything that gives his life meaning. So, he refuses, because he desires to be home, in his kingdom, with his family, more than he even desires to avoid death itself.
This illustrates how our desire for eternal life extends beyond avoiding death itself. We are driven to pursue a certain kind of life—one marked by significance, satisfaction, and security. The difficulty is attaining all three.
Gilgamesh desires security beyond all else. For Achilles, significance is topmost. You could say Odysseus values satisfaction most, longing for a finite life with his family and home. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes is restless in his desire for all three.
My question is which piece do you desire most? Significance, Satisfaction, or Security?
I find comfort in the Bible’s description of eternal life that extends far beyond merely living forever. Instead, it’s an offer that matches our desires.
It overcomes the tearful frustration of Gilgamesh by offering security in the face of death. It deals with the significance that Achilles is obsessed with, providing a life of meaning and significance, even in anonymity. Finally, it provides satisfaction, by inviting us into a way of life marked by joyful relationships, with those we’re closest to and also with God. It offers all of it as a gift.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 6:23
For this reason, these old stories that speak to the enduring longing of the human heart provide encouragement. Because in describing the absence our hearts long for—significance, satisfaction, and security—they sculpt for us a better understanding of exactly what’s involved in the biblical offer of eternal life.
Until next time, enjoy you’re reading!
-Trevor