Deconstructing a life spent chasing the wind

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house.
I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.
I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man.
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

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. - Ecclesiastes 2:4-11

Ecclesiastes is a strange book. Sometimes I have even wondered why it's in the Bible. And then my wife told me it's like Solomon's mid life crisis and then it all seemed to make a little more sense to me. Here's this guy who's basically got everything the world has to offer; success, slaves, possessions, money, women and fame. And then he comes to the realisation that it's all meaningless.

I recently watched Jean-Claude Van Damme's latest movie. "JCVD". Hold on, I know what you're thinking, don't roll your eyes, trust me it's not the usual muscles from Brussels fare.

It's Jean-Claude in real life. Gone is the invincible martial artist. He's aging, broke, very mortal and caught in the middle of a post office heist. It's actually quite odd to see him in this situation. Afraid for his life and unable to disarm the 50-something, overweight robbers.

At one point in the movie he breaks into this introspective soliloquy where he looks back on his life. A Belgian nobody who learned karate, got a break in Hollywood, became a star and had the world by the tail. Money, fame, wives, drugs, etcetera. Now he wonders what the point of it all was? Everything he's done, everything he is, everything he had is nothing. An elusive vapour.

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. - Ecclesiastes 2:17

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 judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14