Why, TO? A lesson from Ecclesiastes

Note: When this post was first written, disputes over the validity of Owens' hospital trip being an attempted suicide were not current. Since this time, there are disputing reports of why Owens went to the hospital.

As I was eating my cereal this morning, I heard the news that NFL superstar wide receiver and Dallas Cowboy, Terrell Owens, was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after an apparent suicide attempt.

Owens "attempted suicide by overdosing on pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after fire rescue personnel arrived, The Associated Press reported Wednesday citing a police report.

A Dallas police report released Wednesday morning said Owens told rescue workers "that he was depressed." The report was first released by WFAA-TV.

The rescue worker "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth,'' the police report said.

The worker attempted to pry them out with her fingers, then was told by Owens that before this incident he'd taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied. The worker then asked Owens "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Whenever one hears of a famous person attempting suicide, the question, "Why?" usually comes to mind. Not too many years ago, Deion Sanders, the elite superstart in the NFL in the 1990s attempted suicide while at the top of his game. There are many more instances of this kind of action throughout history. Why? Doesn't TO have everything in life he could need? He has plenty of money, a high-profile job, fame, fortune...why suicide?

The Bible has a pesonal account of someone who was more famous and had more fortune then TO. While his account never mentions attempting suicide, listen to these words from King Solomon, who was known to be the riches, and wisest, king in the history of Israel.

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher, "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations comes and generations go, but the earth remains forever." (Ecclesiasters 1:1-2)

Solomon tried making the thirst for knowledge all about life:

"I thought to myself, 'Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more then anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me...then I applied to myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind." (Ecc. 1:16-17)

Solomon tried making the thirst for pleasure all about life:

"I thought in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.' But that also proved to be meaningless. I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly - my mind still guiding me with wisdom...I undertook great projects...I built houses...I made gardens...I owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem...I amassed gold and silver for myself...I acquired a harem as well...Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecc. 2:1-11)

After everything was weighed in the balances, Solomon was left with just this conclusion:

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgmnt, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecc. 12:13-14)